Sins of the Father
by jadesabre75
Summary: Sequel to Jedi and the Ambassador. Twenty years later there's a mad man terrorizing Coruscant and the Fel's, Durron's and Obath's must find out who and stop him before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Sins of the Father  
Author(s): jadesabre75  
Timeframe: 20 years after Jedi and the Ambassador  
Characters: Kyp, Jade (OC), Jag, Jaina, lots of other OCs  
Genre: romance, angst, suspense  
Keywords:  
Summary: A madman is terrorizing Coruscant.  
Notes: I fudged the ages a little bit, so everyone try to suspend your disbelief a little, please. )  
Disclaimer: I don't own this crap, but I wish I did. Jacen would still be alive and J/J would have a few kids by now. **

**The beginning might be a little slow since I have a lot of new characters to introduce. If you're confused about anything, just ask! **

**As always, my beta rocks. Thanks Jade Eyes for agreeing to beta this monstrosity! I'm extremely greatful. **

**A shout out to Cyn and Piper. Who keep me insane. **

**If you want to be on the PM list, just let me know in your reply. I'm not going to assume so you'll need to tell me. Well, I will assume on Cyn, Piper and Jade Eyes, but the rest of you will need to tell me. No offense. **

**Enjoy! **

**Sab **

**\__/**

Sins of the Father

**Chapter 1 **

"Dad! Have you seen my robes?"

"Which ones?"

"My brown ones?"

"Aren't they in your closet?"

Karissa Fel huffed in exasperation. "No Dad. If they were in there I wouldn't be asking you." She could almost imagine her father raising his scarred brow at her tone and she cringed.

"Did you check the laundry room?" Jag queried, pretending he hadn't heard the sass she directed at him. Sometimes he had to pause before he answered his oldest child. Jaina constantly reminded him that she was 17 and this was normal. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to make it through both of his daughters.

He heard her footsteps as she ran down the hall and then her exclamation of discovery and felt a smile come to his face.

"I found them!" She said as she walked into her little sister's room then stopped. "What's wrong?"

Jag was sitting on the side of his other daughter's bed, wiping her face with a washcloth. Looking up he gifted Karissa with a small smile but never got to answer her.

"I threw up, Kissa." Jessa's tiny voice said from the mountain of covers on top of her.

"Do you want me to…" She started, when her father stopped her.

"You're mother is on her way. Go ahead and get ready. I'll take care of this."

Karissa nodded at her father, then leaned down to brush Jessa's hair back from her face and kiss her forehead. Her little sister smiled and she reluctantly turned to go back to her room and finish getting ready. She emerged a short while later, dressed in the Jedi robes she had looked for so frantically a short while ago. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her brown eyes shining in anticipation of starting the day. They were in the process of working on their lightsabers right now and she couldn't wait to finish hers. Granted, Jarik was further along than her, but she was excited anyway.

She passed back by the twins' room and rolled her eyes when she saw them horsing around. Devin and Conner were a bane to her existence, but she loved them anyway. When they weren't terrorizing her. The twins and Jessa had taken after their father in looks. All three of them had jet black hair and green eyes. Jessa's eyes were the exact same color as Jag's, whereas the boys' eye color tended to be not as bright. Her grandpa Han always told her that she had inherited her mother's attitude and looks, which in his opinion was perfect. Since that meant her father was going to be having issues when she started dating. She hadn't understood what he had meant at the time, but she did now. Her father was very protective of her, especially when it came to boys.

Grabbing her bag, she left her room and walked down the hall towards the door. "Bye dad!" She called back over her shoulder and had just opened the door when her father's voice stopped her.

"I don't think so young lady."

Rolling her eyes and sighing, she turned back around to pout at him. When she had been a little girl that pout had gotten her whatever she had wanted. It didn't work so well now.

"But dad." She pleaded, knowing she wasn't going to win this argument but trying anyway.

"You're not walking alone." He said, crossing his arms and giving her the glare he was notorious for. It worked on his students, but had stopped working on his children long ago. Even though he was fifty years old, he still commanded the same authority and respect he had 20 years ago. Just not with his children.

"I'll be fine. The temple is just down the street." Jag started to say something, but she rushed to stop him. "There hasn't been an attack for over two weeks dad. I'll be fine." He simply stared at her and she huffed.

"Be that as it may, you're still not walking to school by yourself. You can wait until your mother gets home and go with me."

"Dad!" Karissa wailed, "I cannot show up at school with you."

"I thought your friends liked me?" He asked, immensely enjoying the teasing of his oldest daughter.

"Can I go if Jarik takes me?"

Jag sighed, twisting his mouth in thought. "I guess."

Karissa ran over to her father to hug him for his answer then bolted out the door leaving a bewildered Jag behind. He would never understand women, no matter what their age or his.

Karissa practically skipped down the hall to the Durrons' door. After her parents had gotten married they had decided to move out of the Jedi temple and find someplace close to live. The Durrons had as well and they had been lucky enough to find an apartment building a block down from the temple that just so happened to have a whole floor available.

There were three apartments on their floor. One occupied by the Fels, one by the Durrons and the other by Jade's personal guard Jared and his wife Seena. She had grown up with an extended family that wasn't really her family. Her dad had told her to enjoy it, because some people didn't even get their own families to spend time with.

Stopping before the Durrons' door, Karissa rang the door chime and hoped Jarik was still home. Otherwise she was going to have to take her dad up on his offer. Not that she wasn't proud of him or didn't love him, but she was 17 for stars sake! It wasn't cool to have your dad drive you to school, even if he was Jag Fel. Now if her cousin Alastair wanted to drive her that would be cool.

The door slid open and she smiled at the littlest Durron. Rika was the same age as her sister and they were best friends to boot. Which was funny since their parents had been and still were best friends.

"Hey Rika. Is Jarik still home?" The little girl nodded and moved to let her in. Rika was not a talker. She never had been, and at first it had worried her parents. Personally, Karissa just thought it was because Jessa never let her get a word in edgewise, even before they could talk. The two girls had been born weeks apart, so they were especially close.

Karissa stood in the living room and rolled her eyes as Galven walked into the room. Galven Durron was 13 and just a year older than her little brothers, which put him in the annoying category by default.

"Moron." Galven threw out at her, as he walked by.

"Loser." She threw back, more out of habit than anything.

"Hey squirt. What are you doing here?" Karissa turned to see Kyp walk out of a room down the hall and she smiled.

"Morning uncle Kyp." She greeted, rising on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek. This meant Kyp had to lean down because Karissa had inherited her mother's height as well. Kyp winked at her then walked into the kitchen, Karissa following him. He threw her a sunfruit and took one for himself, leaning back against the counter to wait for her answer.

"I was hoping Jarik would let me ride with him today." She said, feeling the focus of their conversation walk in the room behind her.

"Can't your dad take you?" Jarik joked, as he walked by knocking into her lightly as was their custom. He turned to give her a smirk and she rolled her eyes in response. Jarik was well aware of why she didn't want her dad to take her. He gave her grief about it constantly.

"Normally yes, but Jessa is sick so he's not leaving right now."

Kyp frowned in concern, but she moved to set his mind at ease.

"Mom's on her way home." The master nodded, returning to his drink. Jaina had been working the evening shift at the temple the last two weeks since Ben and Jysella had taken some time off to be with their son who was graduating from the academy. She hated it, but it was the least she could do since they had filled in for her when the children had been born.

Jarik grabbed the sunfruit out of Karissa's hand and smirked.

"Ready?" He asked, his blue-green eyes shining in mischief. Karissa rolled her eyes and followed him out of the kitchen.

"Bye uncle Kyp!" She called, running out the door and bumping into Jarik. "Dang it Jarik." She said as she smacked him upside the arm when he laughed. They moved down the hall and he was still smirking at her as he rang the door for the Obath's. Karissa was moving to hit him again, when Micah answered the door.

"You look like hell buddy." Jarik told their friend and Karissa had to agree.

"Sorry guys, but I'm not feeling good today. I think I'm just going to stay home." He said softly, his dark eyes in sharp contrast to the rings beneath them and the pallor of his skin. Micah was Jared and Seena's oldest son and while he had no Jedi skills, he was their best friend. Usually, they dropped him off at the local academy before they went to the temple. Jarik simply nodded at his words, but Karissa reached out to put a hand on his arm.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. Micah smiled slightly at her and shook his head.

"I'm just gonna go back to sleep. Try not to have too much fun without me." He offered before he shut the door.

"Guess it's just you and me then." Jarik said as he turned towards the lift.

"Force help me." He heard Karissa mumble under her breath and smiled.

**\__/**

Corran reached over to answer the comm and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hey boss." He said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Corran. You have a minute? I need to talk to you about something." Luke asked, a frown marring his brow.

"Durron should be here soon. You want to wait for him?"

"No. I need to talk to you first."

_Uh-oh._ Corran thought to himself. _This can't be good._

**\__/**

A smirk came to his face as he walked down the street behind her. She was definitely beautiful and would be perfect as the next victim in his game. It never ceased to amaze him how stupid people could be. He had been terrorizing the citizens of Coruscant for almost two months now, but they still didn't take him seriously. Oh the police did, that was for certain. It was on the holonet almost every night. But everyday citizens, like the beauty he was following now, they felt invincible. Thinking that with the amount of life on this planet that they were safe. How naïve. If they had been privy to his goal, most of them would know they were safe for sure. He was only after one type of victim. The girl in front of him was a prime example.

He adjusted the bag on his shoulder to a more comfortable position as he felt the adrenaline start to flow through him. It was early in the day, but he knew he wouldn't have a problem getting her. They never fought, at least not until they knew. It had been two weeks and when he had woken up this morning, the pressure in his head had almost been too much. He had tried to ignore the urge, but couldn't fight it anymore. Justice demanded another victim and he would be happy to oblige, knowing it would get him that much closer to his goal.

He would make him pay for what he had done.

**\__/**

Jaina hurried down the steps of the temple, running late as usual. There had been a last minute emergency that had required her attention, which always seemed to happen right before she needed to leave. She didn't know how Ben and Jysella did it. Of course it was easier for them since they lived in the temple. Jaina thought her current restlessness had to do with her baby being sick too.

Jag had called this morning, but he needn't have bothered. She had felt Jessa's distress through the force and it killed her she wasn't home to take care of her. Weaving her way in and out of the pedestrian traffic, she took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Unless she suddenly sprouted wings she wasn't going to get home any quicker. Jag would handle things just fine. A smile came to her face as she thought of her husband. Husband. She still had to pinch herself sometimes to remember it was real, that she really was married to the love of her life. Even after 20 years he still caused her to behave like a teenager at times, which drove her children nuts. But what good was being a parent if she couldn't embarrass her children.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine and she slowed her gait, touching her light saber in reassurance. A dark presence hovered nearby, making her skin crawl. The feeling was gone as quickly as it had come and she sighed, hoping she had just been freaking herself out. Jag was going to kill her for walking home by herself, she thought, quickening her pace as she caught sight of her building.

Jaina looked both ways as she crossed the street, thankful it was still relatively quiet this early in the morning. She bounded up the steps and impatiently pushed the button for the lift repeatedly, somehow thinking that would make it appear that much faster. Practically jumping on the lift, she crossed her arms and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Her poor baby. The lift finally stopped on her floor and she bounded off, nearly running into Kyp as he came out of his own apartment.

"Whoa there speedy. Where's the fire?" He asked, knowing darn well why she was in such a hurry. The master couldn't resist the urge to fluster her. He didn't get much of a chance to lately.

"Sorry Kyp. I'm in a hurry." She said breathlessly, trying to pull out of his grip.

"You don't say." Jaina turned to glare at him, but he just smiled. Then a frown came to his face.

"You walked home alone." He said quietly.

"Yell at me later Kyp. My baby is sick and I need to see her."

He raised an eyebrow at her and sighed. "We're going to have a little chat later," he responded. "If Fel doesn't get ahold of you first." Letting her go, he watched her bounce down the hall and slap the palm reader before she disappeared into the apartment.

**\__/**

Jag sat on the floor of the fresher, holding Jessa's hair back as she lost what little food she had managed to keep down for the last 30 minutes. This was one of the times he wished he had the force. He would do anything to take this away from Jessa, even take on the illness himself. His kids being sick was one of the things that could humble even the great Jagged Fel.

The Bothan Flu was going around this time of year and it had only been a matter of time before either he and Jaina or one of the kids had contracted it. He hated seeing Jessa sick though.

Realizing that Jessa had finally finished, he waited until she sat back on her heels and he handed her a cold washcloth.

"I'm sorry daddy." He heard her whisper, and reached over to pull her onto his lap.

"There's no reason you should be, princess." Jag told her, tucking her head under his chin and squeezing her a little.

"But you're going to be late for work."

"That is not your fault. I don't think my students will complain." A smile came to his face at her small giggle. "Your mom will be home soon." He added, kissing the top of her head and rocking her slightly.

**\__/**

Jaina found them like this, on the fresher floor. Jessa was sound asleep and Jag looked to be, but she knew he really wasn't when he smiled. His eyes slowly opened and she felt her heart swell at the sight of the two of them. She had yet to find something that Jag Fel wasn't good at.

"Well, sith, Fel. Is there anything you can't do?" She whispered playfully, using the force to lift Jessa out of his arms. While he was still in good shape and Jessa was small, there wasn't a lot of maneuvering room for him to get up without disturbing her. He sent his thanks through their bond and got up to follow them into his daughter's room.

She settled her youngest child into bed and pulled the covers up to her neck, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. When she turned around, Jag caught her in his arms and grinned.

"I'm sure I can find something I can't do." He said quietly, waggling his eyebrows and causing her to chuckle. Jaina pushed him into the hall and when the door shut behind her, raised up on tiptoe to capture his lips. Jag backed her up against the wall and took his time exploring the moist cavern of her mouth. She broke the kiss reluctantly and he leaned his forehead against hers, sighing.

"You know, your cousin is great and everything but I can't wait until he and Jysella get back home." He told her, covering her face with small pecks.

"I know. I hate sleeping alone." Jaina responded, closing her eyes and enjoying a little time with her husband. Jag moved his mouth to her ear and she shivered when he kissed it gently.

"You know, I'm already late." He suggested, hearing her chuckle.

"Another two minutes won't make a difference, will it." She whispered back, trying unsuccessfully to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Jag pulled back to look at her. "Two minutes?" She nodded, her grin growing, and he picked her up to carry her down the hall to their room. "I'll show you two minutes Mrs. Fel.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_One day later… _

Ajani Paniz sat at his desk, his dark chocolate eyes raking over the files on his desk. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he would be dealing with a serial killer. He had always hoped he never would, but apparently fate had other ideas. Six weeks ago, the first victim had surfaced. He reached over to pick up her picture and sighed. At the time, they hadn't realized she would be the first of many. Crime wasn't a foreign thing on Coruscant. It was something that happened everyday. Murders weren't unusual either. Crimes of passion, crimes of hate and crimes of opportunity were a way of life for many. This planet was not different than any other, except for the fact that there was a bigger mass of life here than most places.

In his 15 years as a homicide detective he had seen some nasty things, but this took first prize by a long shot. The flimsi was divided into two halves; one side had the before, the other had the after. The only major difference: the woman's head was still attached to her body in the first one. Mita Darfin had been a pretty brunette who worked in the senate building as an aide. Well liked and single, he had heard nothing but good things about her during the investigation and disbelief that someone would want to hurt the petite woman. But the evidence spoke for itself.

She had been found in a dark alley, fully clothed with a few burns on her arms. Her head had lain a few meters away, eyes blankly staring at their own body. She hadn't been robbed or molested in any way, other than the decapitation. It hadn't been a crime of opportunity and he doubted it had been of hate. That left passion. Her friends had said she dated, but nothing serious and all the beaus had been interviewed with nothing pointing towards them. Ajani knew that didn't necessarily mean anything, but his gut hadn't made him think it was any of them.

He set the picture back down and rubbed his face with a hand. Five days later, they had found another one. Exactly the same, but in a different area. This time, behind a business in the downtown district. The next one in a park. One in a warehouse, one in a residential area and one in a factory. No rhyme or reason. No motive. A big fat nothing.

Of course, there were no witnesses in any of the attacks. No video footage from any cameras since the attacks always happened in areas where there was no surveillance. It was his opinion that this killer was very thorough and planned everything down to the smallest, seemingly irrelevant detail. The killer left very little physical evidence behind and what they had wasn't turning anything up. It had made his job hell.

Not for the first time, Ajani was glad he didn't have a wife and kids. He wasn't sure he could deal with his job quite so well if he had a family. Running his hand over his dark bald head, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. They needed a break on this case. Soon.

The door chimed and he didn't bother to hide his groan. He had learned to dread the sound in the last few weeks, knowing that it wasn't good news.

"Come in!" He shouted, opening his eyes and trying to fight the smile that threatened to take over his face. Before him stood Myri Storm, head of Intelligence. While he knew her being here wasn't good, he couldn't help the fact that his ticker thumped a little harder when she walked in. He had always thought her a very attractive woman, even when she had been married. Her blonde hair was shorter than it used to be, but her blue eyes shone just as brightly as he remembered from their first meeting.

Myri had become Director of Intelligence about seven years ago and had done a superb job, but then again he wasn't surprised considering her background and genes. Actually, no one had been surprised. She was an Antilles after all, even if her name was Storm now. Her marriage to Senator Durron's brother Jake Storm had taken place about 19 years ago and they had one child, a son. Then 10 years ago, she had suddenly become a widow, right before her husband was set to retire. Ajani hadn't known her personally then, but he had known who she was, of course. The loss had hit her hard, but she had recovered, from what he understood. She was a strong woman and he thought that was probably one of the things that attracted him to her.

"Director." He offered as he stood to greet her.

Shaking her head and smiling she sat down in front of his desk, motioning for him to do the same.

"Please Ajani, you know I hate you being so formal."

"Why do you think I do it?" He said, grinning mischieviously. Myri shook her head and chuckled. Crossing his arms in front of him, he studied her for a moment. She looked tired. More so than usual and he assumed it was probably the same thing he was worried about.

"I was over this way and thought I would check in. See if anything was happening." She said, clutching her hands in her lap. Sleep had been an absent companion lately and no matter how much she would rather be at home, snuggled under the covers, she knew she couldn't do that. While she hadn't lied about her reasons for being here, she did have an ulterior motive. She needed some cheering up and she couldn't think of a better place, besides her sister-in-law's, than Detective Paniz's office. She had gotten to know Ajani very well over the last few years and she considered him a confidant. One of few she could allow herself in her line of work.

"No. I wish I had something for you, but nothing right now. I'm not sure if that's good or bad." He added, rubbing his head and causing her to smile. She knew he didn't realize when he did it, but it always made her smile when he rubbed his head. He raised an eyebrow at her and she averted her gaze to find herself staring at his desk. A sigh escaped her and the smile disappeared from her face.

"Yeah. It has that affect on me too." He mumbled, gathering up the items on his desk and putting them back in a file.

"It makes me nervous that he's been silent." Myri told him quietly. "Just this morning I saw three women who could have fit his victim profile, walking alone like nothing was wrong." She leaned back in the chair and bit her lip. Even with the numerous warnings the police and she herself had given to the press, the foolishness of people still amazed her. Her father had convinced her that she herself shouldn't be walking alone, even though she didn't fit the profile and she had finally agreed. Instead of walking to work, like she had done before, she now drove and made sure one of the security guards met her at her speeder to walk her in the building. She wasn't paranoid, just felt safer this way. Just because his victims so far had fallen into the same category as far as their physical appearance went didn't mean he wouldn't deviate from his MO.

"You had lunch yet?" He asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Nope."

"Good." He said, standing and grabbing his jacket. "My treat."

**\__/**

Karissa followed Jarik up the steps, or at least she tried to. Since he was quite a bit taller than her and was taking two steps at a time, it was a little difficult. Being the gentleman he was, he always stopped at the top and waited for her to catch up though. Jarik smiled and threw an arm around her shoulders and they started off down the hallway for their next class. They shared their first three classes together, but after lunch they hardly saw each other until it was time to leave.

Jarik had decided that he wanted to become a Jedi master, like his father, and teach. He was a decent pilot, but it didn't stir his blood. Not like it did Karissa. She spent most of her afternoon either in the simulators or taking cross-training classes from the military academy. Luke had recognized that not all his students would want to simply be Jedi, so he had formed a program with Wedge that allowed those who wanted to be pilots to train in both. It didn't surprise anyone that Karissa was a good pilot. She had even broken a few of Wedge and Luke's records in the past few years.

Micah had expressed an urge to go into Intelligence when he was younger and he had proven to be rather good at it. Jared had told him he still needed to go to the military academy to get the training then he could join. Karissa always joked they could have their own team by the time they were all done. A Jedi master, snub jockey and intelligence agent.

When they had been younger, you never saw one of them without the other two. Uncle Kyp had dubbed them the 'terrible trio' around the time they turned four. They didn't get in major trouble, but they had a knack for being where they weren't supposed to be. Her dad told her it was the Solo in her and usually earned a smack from mom.

Karissa slipped into the seat next to Jarik and huffed. This was not her favorite class. She liked the instructor and of course she loved that her best friend was in the class, but she wasn't very good in the subject. Luke had decided that every student would be required to take a survival/first aid class. Back when her parents had been younger, it was standard procedure to be well versed in survival techniques if you served in the military. And quite a few Jedi had served in dual roles back then (being pilots and Jedi) that it hadn't been an issue. Now with so many more options available to students, it was a hole in the curiculum that Luke wanted to fill.

She had pleaded with her parents that she didn't need the class since she was training to be a pilot also, but her father had told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to take the class like everyone else. Another huff escaped her and she jerked when Jarik jabbed her in the ribs. Sending him a glare, she sat up in her seat and tried to focus when class started. If Jarik hadn't been her best friend she would have hated him. He of course excelled in this class. Hell, he excelled in all his classes. She however, had to work a little harder, unless she was flying.

"I hope everyone has been putting together their survival packs. Remember, your final is coming up and I want all of you to pass. So don't wait until the night before to pack." Karissa looked up and grimaced when she found the teacher glancing in her direction. She resisted the urge to slip down in her seat and sighed when Colonel Bowie continued with the lesson.

Jarik walked into the mess hall and it didn't take him long to find her. She and Sari were already in line and he smiled, absently greeting people when they called out his name. Sari Manten had come to the Jedi academy later than he and Karissa, but she fit in with their group rather well. She was an orphan and had somehow managed to talk her way on a transport ship here to Coruscant from her home planet. Having nothing to lose, she made her way to the temple and hadn't left since. Sari was a little taller than Karissa and the exact opposite of her in coloring. Her sandy blonde hair and violet eyes made sure she got attention, but she was actually very shy. Well, around everyone else she was. In the group she was just as crazy as everyone else. Jarik assumed it was because she felt safe with them.

Karissa had her back to him, but he was sure she knew he was coming her way. He bumped into her anyway.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there Kissa." Jarik joked as he winked at Sari.

"Whatever, dork."

"How are you today Sari?" Jarik asked, being polite as always. He wrapped his arms around Karissa's shoulders and leaned into her, almost knocking her over with his weight.

"I'm fine Jarik. Thanks."

They made small talk as they went through the line and finally found a table in the back of the room. The temple was near to bursting with students these days. GrandMaster Skywalker had recently had to open another one on Nyreen just to control the overflow. Even Kyp had taken to teaching classes, though it wasn't his favorite thing in the world. But you could never have too much lightsaber instruction.

Karissa looked up from their conversation to see Mya Cortz saunter their way.

"Incoming." She whispered to Jarik and felt him groan through the force. He hated attention, unless one of the instructors was complimenting him on his form or something he had excelled at. Which kinda sucked since he was a Durron and therefore had no privacy. Taking a bite of something on his plate he assumed was food, he chewed and winked at Sari when she giggled.

Mya was one of the most popular girls at the academy. With her long blonde hair and bright green eyes, she turned most of the boys' heads and basked in her ability to do so. She was a decent Jedi, but to her, school was a popularity contest and she hadn't thought much beyond graduation. Of course, her father was a prominent senator so she came by her ego honestly. Unfortunately, that also meant he saw her more than he wanted. His mom had become a senator seven years ago and he had often attended functions that Mya was at. The girl slid into the seat across from Jarik and smiled her devastating smile at him and he thanked the force he was immune to it.

"Hi Jarik." She said, breathlessly. He felt Karissa start to say something from beside him and he nudged her leg with his own.

"Hi Mya. How are you today?" He had learned to keep the conversations brief with her. Otherwise, they went on for hours and he didn't want to know anything about her. She grinned like a predator and he almost groaned again. Mya had been trying to get Jarik alone since they were 13. Actually, he was surprised she didn't just tell him they were going out and skip all the niceties. Not that it would actually work with him. Most boys would love to be dating Mya. He'd rather get ran through with a lightsaber.

"I'm fabulous. Listen, my folks will be out of town this weekend, and I'm having a party. I was wondering if you'd like to come over."

_So she can paw you to death._ Karissa sent and he grimaced slightly.

He struggled to find an excuse that wouldn't sound lame. "Um…you know, I'd love to but I already have plans." He said, shaking his head slightly and hoping he looked apologetic.

"Can't you break them?" She asked, leaning over the table and dumping her assets there for the whole world to see.

_Well, that was subtle._ Karissa sent him through the force and he kicked her again. _Hey look at my_…"Ow!" Karissa yelled when he stomped on her foot. Sari couldn't keep the grin off her face, so she was hiding it behind her juice glass.

"No. I promised Karissa I would help her watch our siblings this weekend." He told her. Mya's perfectly painted smile faltered slightly, but she recovered so well, most people wouldn't have noticed it. Karissa did though.

"Sorry. Maybe some other time." He offered, hoping she would leave now. Jarik snorted to himself. _Yeah, right._

"You are so lucky to have Jarik to look out for you Karissa." Mya said in a slightly condescending voice that only a girl would recognize. Which was fine since she wasn't saying it for Karissa's sake anyway. She was just trying to make an impression on Jarik. Karissa rolled her eyes and crossing her arms in front of her, she feigned a look of indifference. She heard Sari giggle across from her and found a smirk coming to her face.

Everyone had always liked Jarik. He was the spitting image of his father and had the charisma to go with it. When he had turned 13, all of the girls had started noticing how cute he was and it had just gone downhill from there for Karissa. She of course knew he was good looking, but he was practically her brother for force sake! Jarik, to his credit, hadn't dropped Karissa off his radar. Their friendship was too strong for that, but he had started spending less time goofing off and more time at the temple. Sure he had dated but had told her he hadn't found someone who really interested him yet. He was more concerned with becoming a Knight anyway.

"Oh, I know how lucky I am Mya." She said sweetly, and tried not to laugh when she saw Jarik holding back a smirk. He was used to the girls hitting on him and made sure he politely told them that while he was flattered, he just wasn't interested.

Mya hesitated a fraction of a second, then stood up. "Well, maybe some other time then." She purred, running a hand down his arm and giving an extra swish to her hips as she walked away.

"How many times must she get shot down before she gets a clue?" Karissa mumbled under her breath, sending Sari into peals of laughter and bringing a grin to Jarik's face. "I mean, come on. It's been four years and she's still trying."

"Well, maybe if Jarik wasn't so cute, it wouldn't be an issue." Sari offered and caused Karissa to spew the drink she had just taken towards her friend.

"You got a problem with my cuteness Fel?" Jarik asked playfully, leaning back in his seat.

"Um yeah. You're like my freaking brother Jarik. I don't think about you that way. Yuck."

"Love you too Karissa."

**\__/**

Myri looked up and smiled as she caught sight of her son walking toward their table. Alastair Storm was the spitting image of his father, right down to his build, but he was all Antilles personality wise. His dark hair and bright blue eyes never failed to spark images of Jake in Myri and seemed to be well-liked by the girls. At over two meters tall he towered over most people, but if you knew him well enough, you knew outside of the cockpit, he was a gentle person. It had always surprised her that he had chosen to be a fighter pilot, since his demeanor was not like normal pilots. But he was good at what he did. Very good. There was talk that he was as good as his grandfather, but he never listened to it.

He smiled when he caught her gaze and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Hey honey. What are you doing out of the hangar? I would have thought you were glued to the seat of your X-wing."

"Nah. I have to take a shower sometime." He joked, then turned to greet Ajani. "Detective. Good to see you again." The young man said, holding his hand out to the other man.

"Good to see you too, Major. How are things over at Rogue Squadron?" Ajani asked. Myri swelled with pride every time she thought about the elite group her son was in. She had a feeling that it was going to be a family tradition to be in Rogue squadron in the not too distant future.

"Quiet. Which is always good." He responded, taking a seat at the table.

"Have you eaten yet?" Myri asked, starting to scoot her plate in his direction when he stopped her with a laugh.

"I'm fine mom. I'll get something at the mess. I just happened to see you and wanted to stop by and say hi. I don't want to interrupt your work."

"I wish you would." She chuckled. Alastair smiled, knowing that the case was weighing particularly hard on her right now. It wasn't as if his mom thought that her job should be easy, he just knew she had not expected to have to deal with something like this on her watch. He knew it was especially hard on her since she didn't really have anyone she could talk to about it. If his dad had been here, she would have discussed things with him. Alastiar had told her he would be happy to be her sounding board, but she didn't want to burden him with something like this. He had enough things to deal with being a Rogue.

"You free for dinner tonight?" He asked, glancing at his chrono.

"Yep. I'm all yours."

"Good. I'll pick you up for dinner." He said, standing to shake Ajani's hand again and then give her another kiss. "Love you." He told her quietly and she smiled.

"Love you too, honey." Her gaze followed him as he walked back towards base and she felt her companion's gaze on her. Looking over, she returned his smile and took another drink of her caf.

"He's a good kid." Ajani offered, studying her as she stared absently into her drink.

"Yeah. He is." Myri said quietly. She looked like she was about to say something else when a trill rent the air. She froze and closed her eyes, willing it to be someone else's comm. Ajani's went off a few seconds later and their gazes met. Dread formed in her stomach and she took a deep breath before she answered.

"Storm."

"Ma'am. We found another one."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hey there beautiful. You free for lunch?" A voice said in her ear, nearly making her bump her head on the drawer that was open above her. She felt her husband's hand on the top of her head, thankful his reflexes were still fast enough to keep her from maiming herself.

Seena turned around and found him grimacing and rubbing the top of his hand where it had hit the drawer bottom. Taking his injured hand in both hers, she leaned down to kiss it and gently rubbed the remaining sting out.

"Damn drawer ruined my move." He pouted, smiling when she laughed.

"Aw. Honey you don't need moves with me. Now your other girlfriends you might…" He silenced her with a kiss and they broke apart when someone cleared a throat from behind them.

"Obath, if you're going to maul my aide could you at least do it in a supply closet or something. Not in the middle of the aide's office. Some people are eating lunch." Jade joked from where she was leaning against her doorframe. Jared made a face at her and she returned the gesture.

"I swear you two are never going to grow up." Seena mumbled, shaking her head.

"How's Micah?" Jade asked as the two moved over towards her, following her into the office.

"Much better today, but he still didn't go to classes. I think he's going to go back tomorrow whether we want him to or not. He's going stir crazy." Jared offered, sitting on the couch. Seena walked over to Jade's desk to set down some data cards her friend had asked for and missed the other two still making faces at each other. Or so they thought.

"Stop it." She mumbled, smiling without looking up.

"He started it." Jade retorted as she sat down to start working again. Jared started to respond, when a knock sounded at the door. Glancing at the two women, who both gave him shrugs, he walked over and palmed the door open. One of the other senatorial aides was standing outside the door, the color drained out of her face.

"They found another one." She whispered.

**\__/**

They rode in silence to the scene. Ajani drove, while Myri watched the city pass by outside the speeder window. It only took them a few minutes to get there and her stomach was in knots by the time they did. She didn't wait for him to come around and open her door. Myri was all business now, as she walked over towards the team, Ajani following quietly behind her.

Her gaze came up to scan the surrounding area and she sighed. It was a small courtyard at a building complex. She realized it was one of the lower rent ones in this district and she knew they weren't going to find any cameras. Trying not to let her disappointment get the better of her, she looked back over and saw the victim as the crime techs moved around doing their work. Ajani saw her shoulders sag slightly as she looked over to see the media was  
already out in full force. No one else would have noticed her movement though, so he kept walking knowing that she would probably kick his butt if he acknowledged it.

Stopping next to the small group, she wasn't surprised by what she saw. A petite, brown haired woman, who had probably been stunningly beautiful at one time, lay on the grass, her head a few feet away and face now etched in permanent horror. Myri knew she would be having nightmares tonight. She always did after they found a body. The blank unseeing eyes would bother her for about a week, then her mind would finally say enough and push it into a corner where she had to consciously access it.

Accepting a pair of gloves from one of the techs, she took in the scene as she pulled them on.

"I had hoped he was done." Ajani whispered from next to her, causing her to jump a little. She turned and saw the apologetic glance he gave her and nodded.

"Me too." She replied, crouching down to get a different view. They stood at the top of the woman's body and she saw that the neck wound was the same as always. Whatever the killer had used, it had been hot enough to cauterize the wound and the victims bled very little. They hadn't been able to decisively figure out what weapon was being used and she knew that was a big obstacle right now. If they could find that out, they might be able to progress in the case.

**\__/**

Cutter swept the broom back and forth, not really cleaning. He was just taking comfort in the action. They had found this one rather fast and that wasn't good. Either he was getting sloppy or they had gotten lucky. He preferred to think it was the latter.

"Hey. Kid." Grinding his teeth, he looked up to glare at the old man he worked with at the military academy. If this cover hadn't been perfect for his ultimate goal, he would have killed the pain in the ass already. But he kept a lid on his anger, somehow managing not to impale the geezer on his broom.

"Some kid threw up in the simulators. Get down there and clean it up." He left soon after barking his orders and Cutter felt the noise in his head die down. It was like static filled his brain when the anger surfaced and sometimes he had difficulty remembering what had happened when he got like that. Over the years he had gotten better at controlling it, but sometimes he slipped.

Huffing, he set his broom down and walked over to get a service droid to help him down in the SIM room. He hated this, but kept reminding himself it was necessary. He would get his revenge one way or another.

**\__/**

An hour later, Myri was ready to tear her hair out.

"Why don't you let me take you back to your office." He told her quietly, surprised when she agreed. Usually she stayed at the scene for a couple of hours while things were being collected. Not because she didn't trust her team, but because she liked to be involved.

The speeder was enveloped in silence again, with Myri leaning her head back again the headrest and her eyes closed this time.

"When was the last time you had a day off?" He asked, smiling when she sighed.

"Too long. You know I can't take a day off right now. Not with this going on."

"You need a day off." Ajani countered. "You're going to crash soon Myri." She didn't say anything so he concentrated on driving and left her to her thoughts. They made it to Intelligence headquarters and still not saying anything, he followed her up to her office. Myri walked in and threw her coat and purse over onto a couch and sat in her seat behind her desk. Ajani brushed his jacket back to put his hands on his hips while he watched, waiting for her to crack. He knew it was coming and had been for a while.

"Don't you have work to do?" She asked him icily. Here we go. He thought.

"Damn it, Myri. Don't do this."

"Do what, Detective."

"Don't close up like this. You're gonna go crazy if you don't release some of that frustration you're keeping bottled up."

"I'm fine."

Ajani laughed dryly, turning to stare out the window before he spoke next.

"You know, I may never have been married but I know that 'I'm fine' doesn't mean I'm fine. It means anything but." He frowned a minute later when he didn't get a retort and turned around to find her leaning over her desk with her head in her hands.

"Myr…" Her shoulders started to shake and he found himself moving in her direction. Without words, he moved over to sit on her desk and grabbed her upper arms to pull her into his embrace. She didn't fight him, if anything she sobbed harder. Resting his chin on her head, he rubbed a hand up and down her back soaking up the feel of her against him. Myri didn't show weakness to just anyone and he knew she was hurting if she was showing it to him.

"I can't do this, Ajani." She whispered and he smiled.

"Yes you can. If anyone can do this job it's you. Just stop holding it in. I know you remember that from training." He joked and felt her chuckle against his chest. She didn't seem in any hurry to get away from him, so he was quite content to stand there with her. Then her comm went off.

He heard her groan, and felt like groaning himself, when she moved out of his arms to go and answer the call. Myri talked in hushed tones at the comm console, not that she was afraid he would hear. They both knew everything about this case there was to know. Ajani heard her sigh and turn back around to face him.

"That was Li. He wants us to come down to his 'office'." He laughed when she made quotation marks in the air. Roten Li was the lead coroner for the NRI, so referring to his office meant the morgue.

"Lovely. After lunch and everything." He said as he followed her out the door.

**\__/**

Ajani always hated coming to the morgue. It wasn't that he was afraid of death, it just gave him the creeps. He always assumed it was all of those horror films his older sister had made him watch when he was a kid. Silently, he followed Myri through the labyrinth of hallways beneath the local medcenter that Li had his main office out of. They arrived and she didn't hesitate to walk in, knowing that they were expected.

Roten Li was the Chief Coroner on Coruscant and was extremely good at his job. Myri thought it was probably because he was a Duros and they seemed to excel at most things they did. Roten was bent over their latest victim when they both walked into the room. He straightened up and nodded when he saw them, motioning for them to step closer.

"Did you find something?" Myri asked quietly, trying not to get her hopes up. Roten nodded and pointed to the girl's neck wound. She pursed her lips not finding anything significant, when Ajani spoke.

"That's not as neat as usual."

"Correct, Detective." Roten said, pointing a gloved finger back towards the body. "When he beheaded the girl, he was more violent than usual. More out of control."

"He's usually precise. This…"Ajani said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "This leads me to think this one didn't go quite as smoothly as he would have liked."

"Was she alive?" Myri asked, knowing she didn't have to elaborate for the doctor.

"Yes. The same as the others. The neck muscles were retracted as usual, indicating that the person was alive, but not like the other ones. I would guess, and it's just a guess, that she was unconscious when he killed her."

"The angle slants up towards the back of her neck. Could he have done it while she was in a sitting position?" She asked, not seeing Ajani smile from behind her. You couldn't get much past Myri.

"That would be my opinion, yes. Unless he laid her on the ground, and then sat her up to finish the job. But again, not knowing what he used to take the head off with, I can't tell you for sure." Roten replied.

"And it would be so much easier to use her own weight to finish the cut. I don't see him doing it by lying her down. We didn't see any marks on the ground." The detective said thoughtfully and Myri nodded.

She sighed and stripped the gloves off, moving to throw them in the trash. "So not really that much new to go on." Niether man spoke and she sighed again.

"You really need to stop doing that." Ajani commented, mirroring her actions as Roten just watched them. He would swear the Duros was smiling, if they could smile.

"Thank you, Dr. Li. Let me know if you come up with anything else." Myri said, not waiting for the man's acknowledgement to leave the room.

They walked a few meters down the hall before she spoke.

"I want you to get your team together and go over this again. There's got to be something we're missing."

"Yes ma'am." He answered.

**\__/**

"You know, you don't have to help me watch the kids this weekend?" Karissa told Jarik quietly, breaking the silence in the lift.

He turned his head to look at her, confusion shining in his eyes.

"You told Mya you were busy this weekend. I can watch the kids on my own."

Jarik chuckled and pulled on her ponytail lightly. "I told you I would. Besides, the twins listen to me more than you."

"I know, I just don't want you to think that you have to." She added, quietly making him frown.

"Do you not want me to?"

"No. That's not what I meant. I just…I don't know. I don't want you to think you have to help me."

Jarik wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled. "I'll have more fun with you." Karissa didn't answer, just responded with a small smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Two days later… _

Zoan Damir let his head fall to the table with a resounding thud. He heard the snickers of the team but didn't really care. They were just as frustrated as he was.

"You know I'm going to make you work, even if you give yourself a concussion." Ajani threw at the young man, unable to keep the smile from his face.

"What if I bang my brains out?" Zoan asked.

"Then they'll be inhabiting your seat as we bounce ideas off them. Literally."

"You're such a nice boss." The younger detective said sarcastically, not raising his head from the tabletop.

Carwyn Nalo rolled her eyes and wondered again how she had gotten the privilege of babysitting all these boys. When she had signed up to be a forensic pathologist, she didn't know it involved gaining brothers in the process. She might not have signed up if she had.

"If you two are done wasting time, can we get back to the case?" Nori Ofira asked, shaking his head at them.

"Yeah, let's get back to the plethora of information we have." Ajani said darkly, hoping that Nori knew his frustration wasn't directed at him.

"This guy is good." Carwyn commented. "Or lucky. I'm not sure which yet. He leaves almost no evidence behind. I can't do much with that. Roten has it the easiest right now."

Ajani rubbed his mouth and sighed. He had been hanging around Myri too much lately and picked up her bad habits apparently.

"And even he doesn't have much." Zoan mumbled.

"Let's go over the last victim again." Ajani instructed, trying to steer the team back towards the topic. Leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, he prepared to wrack his brain with them. They weren't seasoned, but they were definitely good. Zoan and Nori were two of his best detectives, even if Zoan was only 25. Nori had been around almost twice as long, but they got along well so it worked out.

Carwyn was the lead forensic pathologist in Intelligence and was highly in demand. Myri had given him anyone he wanted to be on his team, so he had snatched the young Corellian up quickly. Sometimes she was awkward out of her lab, but she fit in well with the team. There were various other members who were also working on the case, but these three were his senior experts.

"Last victim: 26 year old human female. 5'0" tall, green eyes, brown hair. Worked as a waitress in a bar down by the main spaceport. No siblings, parents deceased and no boyfriend." Nori said from memory.

"Which really doesn't give us a pattern, because victim number 2 was a high-profile socialite from Kuat who just happened to be here for a business meeting. She had three kids, a husband of 30 years and was killed her first day on the planet." Carwyn added.

Ajani nodded, blowing out a breath noisily. "The only similarities," he started, "are their appearances. Petite, brown-haired women."

"Which narrows it down to roughly half the freaking population." Zoan added as he lifted his head off the table slightly and hit it against the surface again.

Carwyn scratched her head and looked at Ajani like she wanted to say something.

"What Carwyn?" He asked.

"This guy had to have done this before. Maybe not on this scale, but these women aren't his first victims. He's had practice on killing this efficiently and leaving nothing of himself behind."

"When did you become a profiler?" Nori asked, an eyebrow raised in question.

"It's common sense. He picks his areas too well. There's planning involved. It's almost as if he's taking more time selecting an area to kill these women in than who he's selecting. He doesn't care who the women are, what background they came from. He's only concerned with their appearance."

All three men looked at her with various degrees of shock.

"Sorry. Had a little epiphany there." She responded meekly, lowering her gaze.

"Actually, you have a good point." Ajani conceded. Not surprised at her thought process, since she was extremely intelligent. Carwyn usually didn't say much. If she had something to say you listened. He looked over at the other members and smiled. "Your turn boys. I want an epiphany from you this week. Preferably today, but I know that's asking too much."

"Hey!" Zoan said, while the other two laughed. "That wasn't very nice."

**\__/**

Karissa rolled her eyes again as she heard her brothers stomping down the hallway for what felt like the millionth time. They knew she was working on her light saber and with her parents not home yet, were taking advantage of the opportunity to drive her insane. After a few more minutes, and failures at adding a piece she had finally had enough.

"Will you two please stop it!" She said from her doorway. The boys tried to look innocent, but they hadn't achieved that feat since they were about 2 weeks old. Breaking into laughter, they leaned into each other to keep upright and Karissa felt like bursting into tears. Slapping the palmer so hard her hand stung, the door shut and she leaned against the wall next to it and slid down to the floor.

Her emotions had been a mess in the last few weeks and she had been very proud of herself at not breaking down. Until now. Karissa dropped her head to her knees and finally let the river loose. She didn't know how long she had sat there, but she heard her door open and refused to look up. Someone sat down next to her and intuitively, she leaned into him as his arm went around her shoulders.

"I told the boys to go down and play with Aiden for a little while." Micah told her quietly, not expecting an answer. "Now, I know the boys are sith in their own right" he told her, smiling when he heard a small chuckle come from her, "but I hope they're not the reason you're sitting on your bedroom floor bawling."

She shook her head gently, still not saying anything. Micah rested his chin on her head and wrapped both arms around her to give her time to calm down. He and Jarik had learned over the years that you didn't rush Karissa. If you did, it was not pretty. Finally, he heard her sigh deeply and she reached up to wipe her face.

"I just feel weird."

"Is this something you need to talk to my mom or aunt Jade about?" He asked suspiciously, laughing when her head rose up so she could smack him in the chest.

"No idiot."

"Then talk to me." Micah told her as he pushed her hair out of her face to look her in the eyes.

"You know that one thing we talked about?" She asked quietly.

"Um, Kissa you're gonna have to be a little more specific. We talk about a lot." He murmured, knowing that laughing at her right now was not what she needed.

"About Jarik."

"Ah." He responded, then remained quiet. "Yeah. I remember. Did something happen?"

Karissa shook her head, then buried it back in his chest. Micah sighed and closed his eyes.

"Between that, my demon brothers, worrying about that stupid survival test, working on my saber and the serial killer on the loose…I'm feeling a little overwhelmed." She whispered.

"Well hell Kissa. I don't know why." He joked. "Add to that trying to become a Jedi knight and a pilot at the same time and I'm surprised you haven't gone dark yet." He snarked, wincing as he waited for the smack to his chest. When none came, he got a little worried. "Why don't you just talk to him?" Micah asked as he heard the front door open and hoped it wasn't Jarik.

Karissa sat up and gave him an incredulous look. "I can't!"

"Why the sith not? He's your best friend Karissa. Don't you think he would understand?"

"You're my best friend, too." She said, standing to walk across the room and sit back down at her desk. Micah pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them as he watched her.

"Yeah, but you're not in love with me." He whispered.

**\__/**

"Kids! We're home!" Jaina called as she and Jag walked in the front door. It was quiet. Too quiet. Reaching out, she felt Karissa and Micah in her room, but the boys weren't in the apartment. Jessa was over at Kyp's so she wasn't worried about her.

Jaina stopped in front of her daughter's door and started to knock when she felt a spike of sadness from Karissa.

"Jay?" Her husband said, coming up to stand next to her. "What's wrong?"

"She's upset."

"Well, she did have her favorite class today." He chuckled quietly, garnering a smile from his wife. Jag kissed her cheek and continued on down the hall, knowing that Jaina was probably better equipped to handle Karissa in this state.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked and waited for someone to answer. A smile leapt to her face when Micah opened the door.

"Hey Micah. I see you're feeling better." She said, her gaze darting to her daughter's figure at her desk.

"Yeah, I am. But don't tell my mom. I'm still trying to garner sympathy." He joked. "I sent the boys over to my place since they were being a little loud." He revealed, knowing that Jaina would be worried about the city if the boys were running loose.

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Jaina told him as he looked back over his shoulder. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No, I have a big test tomorrow. I need to study a little tonight." He said, giving her a lopsided smile.

"Ok. Honey, you want to help me with dinner?" Jaina called out to her daughter, hoping she would say yes.

"Yeah, in just a minute mom. Let me finish this real quick." Came Karissa's quiet reply. Jaina smiled at Micah, then turned to walk down the hall to her own room.

**\__/**

Micah stood at the door, still staring at it when it closed. "You gonna be ok?" He asked, hearing her sigh and then get out of her chair. Turning as he heard her approach, he smiled when she wrapped her arms around his waist and he kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah. Sorry I lost it there." She mumbled.

"You're allowed to every once in a while, Kissa."

**\__/**

Jade looked up as her door opened and smiled at her husband.

"Hey." She said quietly as he walked over to give her a kiss.

"Hey yourself." Kyp responded, sitting on the edge of her desk as she finished putting her things away. "You ready to go home?"

"Yep. Just give me a second."

"One." He said, standing and pulling her arm with him.

"What?"

"You said give you one second. That was one. Let's go." He smirked.

"Good grief Kyp. It's not like you're going to get some nookie when we get home." She said, chuckling as he pulled her towards the door. He stopped and turned around, pulling her close so he could kiss her nose.

"I love that you still call it that." He said, leaning down to give her a lingering kiss. "Besides, all I was planning on doing was sitting on the couch and snuggling. I can still do that with my wife, right?"

"Yes. You can. Plus you can embarrass your son."

"Ah yes. One of the added benefits of having children. Embarrassing them with the knowledge that mom and dad still do what brought them into the universe."

"What are the other benefits of kids?" Jade asked, kissing his neck and smiling when he tightened his hold on her.

"Taking out the trash, doing the dishes, walking the pets."

"We don't have pets, Kyp." She whispered, loving how she could still affect him.

"Then we need to get some because Galven doesn't get embarrassed near enough."

**\__/**

"I thought we agreed no more for awhile?" The man sneered at Cutter through the comm unit. He didn't know where the younger man was right now, or he would have found him and knocked some sense into him. "You kill too many too fast and you're going to get caught." He added.

"No, you agreed. This is my game old man, so I suggest you stay out of my way. If you wanted to get the revenge yourself, you should have never involved me."

"Look. We need to be preparing a bigger attack that will get more attention. Then you can go back to your killing." The old man said, trying to make Cutter remember the plan. "You'll have time to play with them later."

"I want to make sure he knows that I'm gunning for him. The only way to do that is through his woman."

"Maybe we can achieve both goals at the same time. I just had an idea.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She answered the comm and her pulse quickened when she saw who was calling her. Not in a good way either.

"What do you want?" She asked, trying to put as much disgust as she could in her voice to cover her nervousness.

"I need some information."

She snorted. "Then go take an ad out on the holonet."

Cutter pursed his lips as he fought down the anger. She had been fighting his influence too much lately. Maybe he needed to remind her who was in charge.

"You know, I'm in the neighborhood. Maybe I need to come over and remind you where your loyalties lie." He said quietly, but there was no mistaking the malice behind his comment. She knew Cutter wouldn't hesitate to make her do what he wanted. A shiver ran down her back and she sighed, defeated.

"What do you need?" She whispered.

**\__/**

Micah walked out of his classroom, feeling the stress he had been carrying about for the last couple of days fall from his shoulders. He only had a few more finals and he would be done. At least until he started graduate school. Rolling his eyes, he walked down the hall lost in his own thoughts when he suddenly bumped into something.

"I'm sorry." Micah mumbled absently at the janitor he had inadvertently ran into. "Guess I should watch where I'm going." He added with a chuckle and felt a little unnerved when the man failed to smile back or respond. Micah stepped back a few steps and smiled weakly at him. "Sorry." He said then walked past, finally breaking eye contact with him.

He continued on down the hall getting the distinct feeling that the janitor was still watching him before he turned the corner, out of sight.

**\__/**

"Jarik!"

Hearing his name, he looked up and turned his head to search out the owner of the voice. Groaning, he dropped his gaze and suddenly wished for a hole in the floor to fall through. Mya walked towards him, looking particularly nice today and he knew exactly what she was searching him out for. Steeling himself,  
he pasted a fake smile onto his face and looked up to meet her gaze. He hated being a nice guy sometimes.

"Hey, Mya." He said when she stopped in front of him, her wide smile nearly blinding him. There was no denying Mya was extremely beautiful. Even he could concede that point, but it wasn't something she came by naturally. He wasn't sure he wanted to think about how long it probably took her to get ready in the morning.

"Do you have a minute?" She asked in her husky voice, which grated on his nerves. It was forced and while he was sure it worked on most males she came in contact with, it did nothing for him. Actually, it was a total turnoff. He much preferred Karissa's soft alto tones. Whoa. Down boy.

He realized Mya was walking over to one of the many alcoves in the hall and ground his teeth. If she jumped him it was not going to be pretty. Reluctantly, he followed, his gaze darting around him to see if anyone was watching. Her usual entourage was absent and he relaxed a little.

"What's up?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Well, you know that the Senator's gala is in a month, right?" She asked, her hand coming to rest on his forearm as he resisted the urge to shake her off.

"Yeah." He answered simply. Less was more when you were talking to Mya.

"Well, I was wondering if you were going?" She said, turning her face up towards him and batting her eyelids.

Jarik barely held in a snort. He knew what she wanted. She wanted him to ask her to go with him. Not in all the nine Corellian hells was that going to happen.

"Yeah, I'm going. Why?" He asked, refusing to play along. Maybe if he played dumb she would get frustrated enough and give up. Mya was used to boys falling at her feet. He wondered if she had ever had to work to get a date. Probably not. He thought to himself. A look of irritation flitted across her face and he fought to keep his smile hidden.

"Well, I thought maybe, if you didn't have a date, we could go together." She purred, leaning into him and placing her free hand on his chest.

"Um…actually. I have a date, Mya." He said quickly, mentally kicking himself for saying that. Her eyes widened and he almost smiled at her shock. She hadn't planned on that apparently.

"You do?" She asked, wonder lacing her voice. Jarik was definitely handsome, but he just didn't date that much. At least not as much as his classmates. He had a different set of priorities and from what he'd heard, he really wasn't missing anything.

"Yeah." He said, scrambling to recover and give her a plausible answer. "I actually asked Karissa to go." At that moment, it could have been a toss up as to whom was more surprised. Jarik recovered before she did, but the look on her face after she hid her shock didn't bode well for him. He noticed the devilish glint in her eye and knew he was screwed.

"Really. Well, I guess I'll see the two of you there then." She said quietly, as Jarik became aware of her hand softly caressing his chest through his shirt. "If you change your mind though, let me know." She said seductively as she turned to leave. Her hand trailed slowly down his torso and she pulled it off  
just before she reached his waist.

Jarik shivered as he watched her walk away and turned to find Sari standing behind him, her eyebrows raised in question.

"Don't." He said, trying to ignore her smile as he heard her fall in step beside him.

"What was that all about?" She asked innocently, linking her arm through his as they walked to their next class. Mya had timed her attack perfectly, knowing that Karissa was over at the SIMS for the rest of the day and wouldn't be around to quell her attack.

"You're killing me, Sari." He said, nodding to a group of kids walking by. He waited until they were further down the hall and it was less crowded. "She asked if I was going to the gala."

"And?" The younger girl prompted, knowing there was more.

"She kinda, in a convoluted way, asked me to go with her."

"And?" She prompted again.

"I told her I already had a date."

Sari stopped in her tracks, her hand tightening its grip on his elbow. He looked back and raised an eyebrow at her actions.

"Who?" She asked, not moving from her spot.

"It doesn't matter. She won't go with me." He said, pulling her to get her started down the hall again.

"Who, Jarik?" She asked, a tinge of desperation to her voice. He glanced at her quickly, before turning his gaze back down the hall.

"Kissa." The young man said quietly.

"No way! You asked her?" She practically shouted and squealed as he dragged her into an alcove to tear everyone's attention away from them.

"No." He said quietly but forcefully. "I don't even know why I said it."

Sari smirked. "I do."

"Sari, we've talked about this. Karissa is my best friend. I'm not going there with her." Jarik stated, glancing at his chrono and seeing they still had five minutes to get to class.

"I don't understand why you don't just say something." The petite blonde said, crossing her arms in front of her. "For Force sake Jarik, you've liked her since you were kids. Even before I got here. You've got nothing to lose by saying something."

"What if she doesn't want to be my friend afterwards? I can't lose her in my life Sari." He said as his shoulders slumped slightly, the fight going out of him.

"Do you really think she would throw away your friendship simply because you have feelings for her?" Sari admonished.

"I don't want to take the chance." He whispered, as he reached out to pull her down the hall. "Come on. I don't want to talk about this now. I'll think of something later." He said, not seeing his friend bite her lip in worry.

**\__/**

She popped the top of the simulation pod and pulled her helmet off, a smile plastered to her face. It had been close that time. She had nearly beaten him. Setting the helmet on the console in front of her, she pushed herself up out of the pilot's couch and wiped the sweat off her brow. It was always a fight when she flew against Alastair, but she loved it. The pod in front of her opened and she jumped softly down to the floor with the aid of the Force and walked over to it.

Alastair's smile was almost as big as hers. She started to say something when clapping interrupted them. Karissa whipped her head around and laughed as the other pilots walked towards them.

"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all." Wedge Antilles said, as he pulled Karissa to his side and hugged her.

"Thanks, Uncle Wedge. You weren't so bad yourself." She added, her smile growing as her uncle's friends laughed at her comment.

"Yeah, for an old guy." Alastair piped up as he climbed out of the pod.

"Hey. Don't talk to your grandpa that way! That's my job." Wes Janson said from the young pilot's side and the whole group laughed.

"You almost had me, Kissa."

"Almost. I'm going to get you one of these days." She said, smirking.

"I don't doubt you will, cousin."

The small group stood and joked for a few more minutes, when Karissa finally told them she had to leave if she was going to catch her ride in time. Hugging her cousin and trading a few more barbs, she left the simulation room and jogged down the hallway towards her locker. She could take a shower when she got home, she thought as she entered the locker room and nearly screamed in fright.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was still here." The janitor said, giving her an unsure smile.

"That's ok." She responded as she walked towards her locker to get her bag. " I just needed to grab my bag and I'll be out of your way." Karissa smiled at the man and pushed the buzzing out of her head. Must be the adrenaline, she thought to herself.

Grabbing her bag, she shut the door and turned to leave the room. "Have a good night." She called back over her shoulder and didn't see the malicious grin on the young man's face as he watched her go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

_Three days later…_

"Tighten up your form, Ina. You're leaving him with an open shot." Kyp called out to one of the pairs practicing on the floor. He was walking around the room, watching his students practice their latest form when pain blossomed behind his eyes. Squeezing them shut, he distantly heard the stunned murmurs of the students as they felt the residual effect of what he had. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the pain away and tried to find the source.

He touched each member of his family and when he got to Jade he sucked in a breath. The trilling of his comm made him jump.

"Durron."

"Turn on the holonet." Jag told him loudly, trying to speak over the background noise of his own class.

Before Kyp could even turn around fully, one of his students had done as Jag instructed and Kyp's heart stopped.

"ate building has been damaged by an explosion of some sort. We are told that the senate was in session at the time, but we haven't been able to get any reports on any injuries or where the blast was centered."

Kyp blocked the rest out as he fought to control his breathing. She was still alive, that he knew from the brush she sent back to him. He laughed dryly to himself. How she could remain so calm in such chaos never ceased to amaze him.

"Kyp?" Confused, he looked down and realized his comm was still on.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm getting my class together now. I'll be down at your room in a few minutes. Go." He ordered quietly. "GO!!" Jag finally yelled, when Kyp hadn't moved.

Making his way to the door, he called orders back over his shoulder.

"Mina, you're in charge until Fel gets here. I want you to all sit and not move until then."

* * *

Jarik was already reaching out to his father when he felt the first burst of pain. He sensed Rika's uneasiness and Galven's fear a second later and moved quickly to reassure them. Not that he had any idea what was going on. Closing his eyes, he delved into the family's force meld and nearly choked when he felt his father's fear.

When they had been kids, Kyp had taught his children how to sync their minds up with his, creating a force meld between the family members. Any time they were scared, nervous, or just plain confused, they reached out and were instantly soothed by one family member or another. Jarik had taken it for granted for so long, he didn't even think about it anymore. They were so attuned to each other sometimes, it was scary.

He blocked as much of his dad's fear as he could, before Kyp realized it and got it under control. Receiving a mental image of home, Jarik understood he wanted him to take his siblings and go home. As much as he didn't want to, he knew that he would. Kyp depended on him to take charge when he couldn't.

He told his brother and sister to stay where they were and turned to go get them when he bumped into Karissa.

"Jarik? What's happening?" she asked, holding onto his arm, her eyes desperately searching his for an answer.

"I don't know. My dad wants me to get Rika and Galven and go home."

"Jarik!" He looked up to see Sari running towards them. She took a minute to catch her breath when she finally got to them.

"There was an explosion at the senate building. Master Horn said they're going to send everyone home soon."

Jarik nodded and suddenly felt lost. It wasn't like he hadn't had to take charge before, but his dad's fear was still beating against his shields even if it wasn't as strong as before.

"I'll come with you to get the kids." Karissa said softly from beside him. He looked down and her and nodded, not sure he could speak right now. Looking up, he started to thank Sari when she smiled.

"Go." She whispered.

* * *

"Jarik, what's going on?" Galven asked, as the five of them walked down the hall towards Rika and Jessa's room.

"There was an explosion at the Senate Building. Dad wants me to take you guys home. No, I don't know how mom is I just know she's ok." He said, not turning back around to address his brother. Devin and Conner walked towards the back of the group, trailing Karissa. The twins were usually good for a joke, but right now they were silent. Levity was not really called for right now.

Jarik was silent as they collected the girls and headed towards his speeder. He didn't look up as people walked past him. Didn't even listen to the conversation his small group was having. He was simply functioning right now, trying to keep his mind off his parents. Which of course, he wasn't doing a very good job of.

He sighed then jumped slightly when he felt something grab his hand. Looking over, he saw Karissa giving him a small smile and he somehow managed to give her what he hoped was a mirroring look. She squeezed his hand and the tight band that had wound itself around his chest loosened a fraction.

* * *

Jade coughed as the duracrete dust swirled in the air. She heard movement, but she kept her eyes closed until she heard the heavy rain of material become quieter around her. Finally, after a few minutes she cautiously opened her eyes and bit her lip at the scene. She had been lucky. Her usual seat was on the side of the explosion. If she hadn't been running late…no. She would not go there. While the south side of the building was still standing, everything that it held was now charred beyond recognition. Small fires still dotted the walls and some of the remaining seats that hadn't disintegrated in the explosion. Her eyes traveled upward as she eyed a huge crack in the wall that led to a fairly wide opening towards the roof. Thankfully that hole was venting the smoke, but there was so much of it that it wasn't anywhere near efficient enough to clear the room.

Falling gently to her knees, Jade ripped off one of her sleeves and tied it around her nose and mouth as much as she could. She ached in a few places, but she could still move around and from the pain that was pushing in on her, she knew there were people more injured than her. Closing her eyes, she delved into the force and calmed her nerves, then started to triage the people around her.

She stopped briefly as she felt her husband's terror and her oldest son's inquiry. Brushing them reassuringly, she cut them off as much as possible to focus. Crawling on her hands and knees, the first four people she found, she knew were dead before she even tried to find a pulse. Gathering her resolve, she moved on and came across two beings that were breathing, though just barely. The Bothan senator was in better shape than the Coreillian one, and she made a judgment call to help the former first. He had the best chance. Jade was so engrossed in what she was doing that the hand touching her shoulder made her jump.

"Gods Jade, I'm sorry. I thought you heard me." Seena told her quietly, as Jade sat there feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Taking a deep breath, the senator waved her apology off and went back to work. She heard some faint conversation around her, but was too busy concentrating to try to decipher it.

"What about…" Seena started, when Jade shook her head.

"Even if I try, Senator Nois won't make it See. I can save Mes'sina though." Quietly, Seena came up next to Jade and started to help her wrap the Bothan's wounds.

* * *

Corran walked into Luke's office and nodded, letting the master know that he had given all the teachers instructions. Grabbing his light saber off his desk, he started to walk to the door when his son came through with Zekk in tow.

"Did you get someone to watch your class?" He asked, and both men nodded, moving to let Luke walk through. They walked silently down the hall and were met by Jag at the entrance to the temple.

"Jaina has things tied down here. Thought you might be able to use my help."

Luke nodded and the group quickly walked down the steps and down the street. The senate building wasn't far and they could see the smoke laying a dense blanket over the skyline. It was thick and black, which made him uneasy. That meant there was a fire, and it was a strong one. He heard sirens and took a deep breath, reaching out to Kyp. He felt his friend's desperation, being held in check by the tenuous knowledge that Jade was alive.

* * *

Kyp arrived at the scene and the emotions that bombarded him were crushing. A small crowd had gathered, but he really didn't pay them any attention as he made his way through the mob, trying to get towards the building. He dimly registered someone calling out to him, but didn't stop. The building didn't look bad from this side, but the smoke was coming from the other side and he steeled himself for what he was about to see.

As he reached the south side, he inhaled sharply. There was a large hole in the top with smoke billowing out of it and flames shooting out about three meters high. Scanning the area, he saw water trucks preparing to douse the flames, police trying to keep the spectators back and medics treating those they could reach. The once beautiful beacon of democracy was like a fragile house of cards right now. The only things holding this side together were the numerous tranparisteel beams that the builders had used to give it stability.

A group of medics was clustered near one of the doorways and he slowly jogged over to them. Before he could ask what he could do to help, he saw what they were looking at. Even as he stood there, he could hear the building move, dust raining down from a crack that was slowly growing and heading towards the ground.

"Move." He said suddenly, the group turning to look at him.

"MOVE!" Kyp shouted, the medics jumping to get out of his way as some of them realized who he was. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and slowly blew it out. Reaching deeply into the force he felt his way gently around the crack in the building, hoping he could find the stress point to stop it from getting worse.

"Find something to brace the duracrete with." He called out and was surprised to hear some of the group actually move to do as he asked. Pulling the force to him, he pushed against the building and grunted, digging deeper as the weight slowly started to stabilize. He hoped they found something fast, because he wouldn't be able to hold this forever. It seemed like hours later, when he felt a familiar presence behind him and suddenly felt the burden lighten.

"Need some help there, Durron?" Zekk called softly from his side and Kyp smiled.

"Bout time you got here."

"Yeah, well Corran wanted to stop and get a drink, but we managed to convince him not to." Ben said from Kyp's other side.

"Hey! Don't blame this on me." Corran said, crossing his arms across his chest. "It was Jag's fault."

Luke shook his head as he scanned the area for something to help ease their burden. Finding it, he lifted his hand in front of him and gently guided it over towards the building. Easing it down slowly, the ground slightly rumbled and the sound of metal creaking was heard for a few seconds before it finally settled.

"You just had to pick that, didn't you?" Corran snarked as he ran by with Jag to get into the building. Luke smiled and followed his friends into the building with the medics. Behind him, the midday sun beat down on the obnoxious 20 meter metal statue of him that he had never liked in the first place.

* * *

Jade blinked her eyes rapidly, fighting the panic that was threatening to box her in. She was finding it difficult to see, and her right arm was starting to get numb. Vaguely she remembered being hit by something when the explosion first happened, but she had no idea what. Hopefully, she hadn't hurt herself too bad.

She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and met Seena's concerned gaze.

"You have a concussion, don't you?" Her friend said breathlessly and Jade could feel Seena's fear.

"I'm fine. I'll be ok until someone gets here."

"No you won't, Jade. You're shaking. Please, just sit down and I'll take care of the rest."

Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly nodded and settled herself back against the wall, closing her eyes. Before Seena could stop her, she blacked out.

* * *

"Jade!" Kyp suddenly screamed, making Jag and Ben jump into a defensive stance before they realized he was running past them.

"Kyp. Wait!" Jag called after him.

* * *

Rika screamed and Jarik dropped the glass he had just gotten out of the cabinet as he ran in to the living room. Karissa looked up from the couch where she was holding the girl, meeting his gaze. He had felt the same thing his sister had and apparently so had Karissa. His mother's presence had been so strong for a while, but now it was weak. That couldn't be good.

Every fiber of his being was screaming for him to go and help but he knew he couldn't. The sound of footsteps brought him back to the room and he saw Galven and the twins standing at the end of the hall. His brother's face was pale, his breathing hard and Jarik swore his eyes were glassy. Walking over to him, he pulled him into a hug and no one said anything when they heard his quiet sobs.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Six hours later… _

Kyp sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. The chair was extremely uncomfortable, but if he stood up he would start pacing. Jag had already threatened to stun him if he started that again, so he sat in the chair, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell him his wife would be ok.

The door to the waiting room opened and he stood as Jarik and Karissa walked in. Giving his oldest a small smile, he oomped when his son hugged him hard. Kyp returned the embrace, though not quite as hard and pulled back to ask a question.

"Zekk is with the kids." Jaina said, smiling at the surprise on Kyp's face. She had walked in shortly after the kids and was now sitting next to Jag. Kyp nodded, sending her his thanks and retook his seat, Jarik settling in the chair next to him.

They hadn't gotten to Jade as quickly as he would have liked. Not only had the occupants of the senate chamber been injured, but so had the rest of the building when the explosion had happened. The medics were charged with triaging people as they went and, considering the capacity of the building, it had taken them almost an hour to get to her. Kyp had busied himself with helping the medics any way he could, all the while keeping his fears locked away tightly where they couldn't get control of him.

Diligently, the Jedi had worked helping save as many people as possible, and when they had finally made it to their destination, the shock had hit them all. Most of the casualties were in the main chamber and even those that had been on the other side of the room had sustained some sort of injury. Seeing the destruction of the room had finally torn Kyp's control of his emotions free and he had concentrated on finding his wife. It had taken him less than two minutes to find her and he nearly wept with relief when he felt her through the force. She was weak, but alive.

After 10 minutes of sitting, Kyp stood up abruptly and started pacing again. He heard a noise and looked over to see Jag had snapped his holster open and was fingering his blaster as he gazed at his friend. Kyp started to snap off a comment when the door opened behind him.

Turning, he saw the doctor walk out and felt his chest constrict. He knew she was ok, but he had to see for himself before he would calm down.

"Master Durron?" The man asked, smiling when Kyp nodded. He felt his son next to him and knew he was as anxious as he was.

"How is she?" Jarik asked before his father could.

"She's fine. A few bruises and some cuts to go with her concussion. I want to keep her overnight just to make sure, but she'll be fine." The doctor told them, smiling when both Jarik and Kyp's shoulders visibly sagged in relief.

"Can we see her?" Kyp asked, knowing damn well that he was going to see his wife whether the doctor allowed it or not.

"That's fine. I'm assuming you would like to stay overnight with her and I've made arrangements to have another bed brought in for you." He said, chuckling at Kyp's surprise. "Just try to keep the visits down to two people at a time and not stay very long. She does need to rest."

Kyp nodded absently at the doctor as he left the room and started towards the small hallway that held his wife's room. Jarik was right behind him, but he stopped as he realized no one else was moving. Turning around he raised a questioning eyebrow at the small group.

"You coming or not?" He asked.

"The doctor said only two…" Jaina started.

"Since when do I listen to the rules." Kyp threw back, his smile finding its way back onto his face for the first time that day.

**\__/**

The nurse had dimmed the lights so that they were almost off before she had left the room. Jade sighed and settled back into the bed, feeling the pain medicine start to kick in. The pounding was still there, but the doctor had assured her it would go away in a few hours. Her consussion was just slight, but even the small ones hurt like hell. A smile came to her face as she felt her family's presence get closer to her room. Well, at least her husband and her son's.

She opened her eyes just as the door swooshed open and bit her lip to keep from yelling for joy. Kyp made it to her side first, and as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, she could feel his relief wash over her.

"Hey." He said quietly, brushing his hand over her cheek as if to reassure himself she was actually there.

"Hey yourself." Jade responded, cupping his hand with hers and kissing his palm. She gave him a quick look then turned to acknowledge the rest of those in the room.

"You know, there's easier ways to get a day off Storm." Jag threw at her then grunted when Jaina and Karissa both elbowed him in the ribs. Jade started to laugh but quickly shut her eyes when she realized that her head pounded harder when she did that. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and opened her eyes.

"Well, if Kyp would actually let me have a day off every once in a while, I wouldn't need to resort to such drastic measures." She said, squeezing his hand. The Fels stayed about 10 minutes, making sure she was alright then slowly everyone filtered out until just Kyp and Jarik were left. Actually, Karissa was in the waiting room, opting to stay and go back with Jarik instead of her parents. Jade was surprised Jag had let her stay, but she was safe where she was, considering this floor of the medward was on lock down with all the senators that were in the building.

"I guess I better get back before the boys wreck the house." Jarik joked, standing to say goodbye. He leaned over to give his mom a kiss, but she pulled him into her arms and he squeezed his eyes shut. Not for the first time, Jade thought about how similar these two men were. Jarik was just as worried as his father but was just better at hiding it. But she always knew when he needed extra reassurance. She kissed his cheek and when he pulled away she smiled beautifully at him.

"Make sure you go home and get some rest honey. I know you're tired." She told him, and he chuckled as he felt her brush him in response.

"Yes ma'am." Jarik glanced over at his father and laughed outright when Kyp rolled his eyes at him. "Love you mom." He whispered. Jarik squeezed her hand and nodded to his father, then left the room.

**\__/**

Kyp watched his son leave the room, knowing that Jarik was holding onto his emotions by a thread. Hopefully he would talk to Karissa about it on the way home. He hated that his son had inherited his stubborn resistance to rely on others from him, but knew that tempered with his mother's gifts he would be fine.

Turning to look at Jade, he gave her a stern look and she giggled.

"As for you, young lady, don't you ever do that again." He told her forcefully, knowing it wasn't her fault but needing to say the words anyway.

"I promise to try and not get blown up in the near future dear." Jade told him, reaching up to drag him down for a kiss.

**\__/**

The door to the waiting room opened and Karissa jumped up as Jarik walked in. She could feel some of the tension had left him, but he was still wound up. Of course, she would probably be worse if it was her mom. Jarik was always so freaking composed, and it drove her nuts.

"Ready?" He asked, and she smiled and fell into step beside him as they left the room. Karissa kept her thoughts to herself as they walked to Jarik's speeder. She knew that her parents were probably talking right now, trying to figure out what had happened today and, true to her heritage, she was doing the same.

Jarik bumped her with his elbow as they approached the speeder, bringing her out of her thoughts. He stopped next to the passenger's door and looked down at her.

"Do I want to know what's going on in there?" He asked, poking a finger to her forehead.

"Just thinking." She replied, climbing into the speeder. Jarik stood there for a minute then walked around to his door.

"Well, that's a gimmie. You're always thinking." He joked and didn't have to look at her to know she was glaring at him.

"Smartass."

"Better to be a smartass than a dumbass." He countered, smiling when she laughed.

"I was just wondering why the explosion happened." She said quietly, not surprised when he remained mute. "I know there's been plenty of threats over the years about blowing the senate building up, but I can't believe someone actually went through with it."

"I know." Jarik said, not elaborating on her comment. Karissa glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and thought that maybe she shouldn't have said anything. They rode the rest of the way home in silence and when Jarik finally parked the speeder she jumped out, expecting him to be doing the same.

"Jarik?" She said, a little scared when she felt him close off his feelings completely. Clearing her throat, Karissa plopped back down in her seat and shut the door behind her. When she turned to say something to him, his head was on the steering wheel and his shoulders shook slightly.

Reaching over, Karissa pulled him towards her and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He let go of his shields a little bit then, and she felt the heat of his emotions sweep over her. Jarik rarely let go like this and it scared her a little that he was doing it now. She couldn't count the number of times she had told him to stop holding things in, and now that he was finally doing it she found herself unprepared for the tidal wave.

She rested her cheek on the top of his head and felt her own tears escape her eyes to travel her cheeks. His arms wound around her waist and she squeezed him a little tighter in response. They stayed that way for a while, neither in a hurry to move. Finally, Jarik sighed deeply and moved to sit up. Sniffing, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and cleared his throat, not meeting her gaze.

"Thanks." He whispered, closing his eyes as he took a few calming breaths. Karissa reached over to grab one of his hands and he turned to look at her, smiling slightly.

"Anytime." She responded.

**\__/**

Ajani paused outside the door to the Senator's room. He and the team had already interviewed all the other members of the senate and he was left with Senator Durron. Even though his team was busy with the serial killer case right now, it still fell to his jurisdiction to cover the explosion today. Actually, it was a welcome change of venue for him. Ajani snorted. How sad was it that an explosion that had killed roughly 10 of the Senate was a welcome change to him. The big man sighed, then palmed the door open. The nurse had come to tell him that Senator Durron was awake about 15 minutes ago, but he had needed a little break so he hadn't come right away. He had met the senator a few times during his career and had always felt at ease around her. No one liked politicians, but she wasn't your typical one either. Of course she was Myri's sister-in-law too, which he thought said something for her. Myri was fiercely loyal to Jade and that spoke volumes to him.

Not surprisingly, she looked up and greeted him with a smile that he actually saw in her eyes. He nodded to her and then turned to find her husband standing next to the bed. He'd never met Kyp Durron, but he of course knew his history. Ajani was not one to form an impression without facts, so he honestly didn't know what to think of the man.

"Senator, Master Durron." He greeted them, as he walked to the end of the bed.

"Good evening detective. I assume you're here to ask me some questions." Jade said, her husband glancing down at her then back at the detective. His look told Ajani not to expect to stay long. He nodded slightly at the Jedi master and smiled at the senator.

"Yes ma'am. I won't take up much of your time." He responded, moving to sit in a chair that was on the side of the bed opposite Kyp. "Maybe it would be best for you to start with the events that led up to your arrival in the senate chambers."

Jade nodded and bit her lip before she spoke.

"We had a meeting scheduled for 1100 hours. I left my office about 15 minutes before I needed to be there. The only thing that sticks out in my mind as unusual was that the lift was out and I had to take the stairs. That probably saved my life." She whispered, her gaze now trained in the direction of her feet. Ajani didn't feel that she was hiding anything by not meeting his eyes, just that she was trying to remember anything she might have missed at the time. "So I took the stairs, which of course takes a little longer." She looked up to see a quizzical expression on the detective's face.

"I tend to multitask when I'm walking somewhere."

"Ah." He responded, the corner of his mouth curling up.

"It's rather difficult to walk down six flights of stairs and try to read a datapad at the same time."

"I can imagine." He said, chuckling.

"I really wasn't paying any attention to anything around me. I vaguely remember greeting a few people in response to their greetings, but I don't think I ever looked up. At least not for any considerable length of time." She paused and bit her lip again and he swore he saw a ripple of pain swim across her face. Master Durron confirmed it when he reached up and touched her shoulder and she sighed in relief. The detective remained quiet, knowing that it was best to let someone run through their story before asking questions.

"I got to the bowl about five minutes before 1100."

"Bowl?" He asked, unable to contain himself.

Jade chuckled. "That's what we call the senate chamber. Sorry, inside joke." He smiled and she continued. "I stepped inside and was stopped by one of the senators for a second, and then the room lit up. The next part is a bit of a blur. I think some debris must have hit me because I blacked out. I'm not sure for how long, but the dust was still settling when my brain started up again."

"So you don't remember anyone who may not have belonged?"

"No." She said quietly, as she shook her head. "I wasn't in the room long enough to see who was there. I didn't feel anything through the force, but that's not much for you to go on." She added.

"Alright. That's all I need for now." He said, standing. "Please let me know if you happen to remember anything else." Jade nodded and graced him with a small smile. Ajani met the master's eyes, then he left the room.

**\__/**

Rika shifted slightly on the couch and Karissa ran her hand over the girl's hair, smiling when she sighed. When her parents had gotten home, she had asked if she could come back over to the Durrons and her mother had simply smiled and nodded. For some reason she thought that she should be bothered by that, but she was too tired to think about it right now. Jarik had fixed them all dinner, but it had been a somber affair. Rika had gone into her shell and Galven had, for once, stared at his plate and pushed his food around.

"Is my cooking that bad?" Jarik had asked him, actually getting a weak smile from his little brother. They had settled in the living room afterwards and Rika had fallen asleep, her head resting on Karissa's lap. Eventually, Galven had quietly announced he was tired and went to his room. Jarik stared after him, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. Something had been bothering his brother lately, but he hadn't attempted to find out what. He knew that Galven sometimes got in a mood and just needed to be left alone to come out of it in his own time. This felt different though. Jarik glanced over at Karissa, who was absently stroking his sister's hair and watching the movie without really watching it. He smiled and thanked the force for giving him such a good friend.

Karissa must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked over and smiled at him. They sat there for a little while longer, when Jarik couldn't take it any more. He stood and walked out of the room down to Galven's door.

The muffled sound of music came from behind the teenager's door and he smiled. Galven always used music to make him feel better, just like their mother. He knocked lightly, knowing that he would hear him over the din. The music was turned down and when the door opened, his brother looked at him, his face devoid of emotion.

"What?" He said, a small bit of anger in his voice.

Shaking his head, he lightly shoved Galven back so he could enter the room and waited until the door was shut until he spoke.

"You know, I understand that you're worried about mom but you need to cut it out with the anger crap Galv. For one thing, you're scaring Rika." He threw out, knowing that if his brother held everything in he was going to explode later. Better to let it out now and be directed at him, than everyone else.

"Whatever." Galven said, walking past Jarik to lay down on his bed. He plopped down on his stomach and rested his head on his arms, essentially ignoring his brother. As much as Galven was like their mother, he had unfortunately inherited their father's agression too.

Jarik started to say something else when he looked over and saw the slight tremble of Galven's shoulders. Squeezing his eyes shut, he centered himself then walked over to sit on the side of the bed. He didn't trust his voice, so he chose to simply put his hand on Galven's back and wait until the storm passed. Jarik totally understood where his brother was coming from. It was hard being a teenager as it was. Throw in a parent who was a Jedi Master and one who was a Senator and it messed up the dynamics more than usual. It had taken him time to find a balance and he knew Galven would find one eventually.

Finally, the teenager rolled over onto his back and swiped at his eyes. Jarik waited for him to drive the conversation.

"How come you never lose it?" Galven asked quietly. Jarik snorted and barked out a laugh.

"Dude, I lose it plenty. You just never see it." He offered as Galven sat up and scooted up the bed to lean against the headboard. "In fact, I lost it on the way back from the medcenter today."

"Seriously?" His brother asked, shock written on his face.

"Yeah. It sucks being the oldest. Dad depends on me to be the man when he's not around and honestly, I don't want to be."

"Why the sith not?"

"Because it sucks being an adult. I have to be the strong one for you, Rika and Mom when dad can't and it's not easy." Jarik told him quietly.

"I never thought about that." Galven whispered.

"Yeah, I never did either until it happened. Look," He started, changing his position to mirror Galven's, "you have quite a while before you have to worry about it. Just let me deal with things for now. There will be plenty of time for you to practice being an adult later. Deal?" He asked, holding his hand out to shake.

Galven looked at him and nodded, but didn't take his hand. Instead, he leaned into him and Jarik smiled as he wrapped an arm around his little brother.

**\__/**

"Here mom, let me help you." Micah said quickly, reaching over to help his mom out of the lift.

"Good grief Micah, I'm fine. I can do it on my own." She snapped then cringed when he dropped his hands away and stepped back from her. Aiden stood behind her, his gaze darting to his older brother's. Micah smiled a little then turned to walk down the hall to their door. He waited until the other two had walked through the door, then shut and locked it behind him. Jared was parking the speeder and he knew his dad would take a few minutes to compose himself before he came home.

Micah started down the hall towards his room, when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." She told him, her eyes begging him to forgive her.

"It's ok mom."

"No, it's not." She said, determination showing in her face. "I shouldn't take my frustration out on you. That's what your father's for." Micah chuckled and nodded. "I'm just worried about Jade." She whispered.

"I know. But aunt Jade is tough. She'll be ok." He offered, jumping a little when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to find his father standing there, a grin on his face.

"Don't forget that either." He said, squeezing his son's shoulder and moving to pull Seena to his side. "Jade's made of freaking durasteel. She'd have to be since she married Durron." He snarked, winking at Micah as he led his wife down the hall to their room.

He watched them for a minute, then turned to plop down on the couch. Micah leaned his head back and rubbed his face with his hands.

"You ok?" A voice asked him, and his head shot up to see Aiden standing at the end of the hall, worry painted on his face.

Micah nodded as his brother made his way over to sit next to him. "How bout yourself?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just…I don't know. I guess the shock has worn off." Aiden confessed, knowing that this was one of those times Micah wouldn't rib him.

"Yeah. Sucks don't it?" He joked dryly, letting his head fall back to the couch.

"Yeah." Aiden responded, lapsing into silence. Micah looked over and gave his brother a questioning gaze. "Is it always like this when you love someone?" He asked and Micah knew he couldn't hide the shock on his face. Since when did his little brother become interested in love?

"You mean the acting crazy and adrenaline rushes? Yelling at those closest to you and generally losing your mind?"

Aiden simply nodded and Micah smiled. An image of blonde hair and violet eyes formed in his head and he chuckled. "Yep. Every time."

**\__/**

"What are you doing?" He seethed, throwing the older man up against the wall of the apartment. "You're going to ruin everything!"

"Calm down, Cutter." He said, trying to soothe him. "I just rocked the speeder a little. I didn't do any damage to your little game." He responded, reaching down to pull the man's hands from his shirt. Which really wasn't easy, since he was considerably stronger. Finally he managed to pull the fabric from the man's fingers and threw him a glare as he walked across the room.

"You could have killed her in that blast!" Cutter ground out.

"I made sure she wouldn't be in there. So calm down and let's discuss the next step." He said, filling his voice with as much authority as he could. He was amazed the young man still listened to him. When he had set out to corrupt him, he had never imagined Cutter would exceed his expectations and become a liability. He would let the young man play his game a little longer then he would have to put a stop to it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"I need some more information." He told her, narrowing his eyes when she didn't say anything right away.

"No." She whispered, her head slightly turned down but her eyes looking up at him. For a second she held her breath in fear. She had agreed to meet him, but only if it was in a public place where there were enough people around to ensure her safety.

His hand had started to move to her arm, but he stopped halfway and it fell back down to his side. The anger boiled from him and she hoped she hadn't made a tactical error, but she was sick of playing his game. This would end here.

"No?" He spat out, inching slightly closer to her.

"I won't help you anymore, Cutter." Her voice was so quiet, he had to strain to hear her. Blowing out a breath, he turned to walk away leaving her staring after him. She nearly collapsed from relief, but simply took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself. The chill didn't leave with him.

**\__/**

"Mom! I'm leaving!" Karissa yelled as she came out of her room and started down the hall.

"Do you have enough money Kissa?" she heard her mom call from the kitchen. Uh-oh. She hoped her mom wasn't going to try and cook tonight. Dad was at the temple late and so it was just Jaina and the rest of the kids. Biting her lip, she walked in and her shoulders visibly dropped when she spied her sitting at the table.

"No, smarty pants, I'm not cooking." Jaina threw at her daughter, throwing her a small glare. "There's just more room out here and I might actually be able to keep an eye on your brothers."

"Sorry." Karissa said, wincing.

"It's ok. I know I suck at cooking. Your father threatened to divorce me if I tried again."

"Mom. You know he would never do that!" The teenager said disbelievingly. If there were two people more in love than her parents she'd be surprised. Especially with all the stories she had heard about them. Her father would just as soon blow his claw craft up before he divorced her mother. And they all knew how much he loved his fighter.

"I know." There was a pleased smug note in Jaina's voice. "Have fun tonight, and make sure you stay with Jarik and Micah."

"I know mom." She said as she walked over and placed a kiss on Jaina's cheek, then left.

**\__/**

"Man, that movie royally sucked." Micah said as the four friends left the holotheater. Sari snorted from his right and rolled her eyes.

"That's because there wasn't enough blood for you."

"No kidding. There was more than enough. You want to see a slasher then you're on your own Micah." Karissa said, an exaggerated shiver making everyone laugh.

"Sorry Mic. You're on your own there." Jarik spoke up.

"Traitors." Came Micah's reply, which caused them all to laugh again. They made their way towards the caf place they always went to after the movies and were just about to step inside the door when a scream grabbed everyone's attention.

Looking to their right, they saw a woman leaving the alley a few stores down. She fell to her knees and while she didn't look injured, Jarik could sense her terror from where he was.

"Stay here. I'll be right back." He told his friends as he jogged over to the small crowd that was starting to form. As tall as he was, Jarik was able to see over most of the people who had gathered to see what had happened. He politely pushed his way through the throng of people and when he finally made it to the woman, he found a man leaning down next to her trying to get her to talk.

"…body in the alley." Was the tail end of her comment and he felt his blood run cold. Reaching down, he pulled his comm off and dialed the police.

Most of the people had backed up as if the woman was carrying a disease when the words had left her mouth. Jarik moved behind her to look down the alley and nearly threw up when he did. A few feet away rested a woman's head. It was covered in blood and the vacant eyes were looking out onto the street.

"Jarik, what…"A sharp intake of breath and a muffled sob followed Karissa's voice and he whipped around to push her back into the light. Her panic nearly overwhelmed him and he pulled her into his arms around the corner of the building so she couldn't see anything else.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" He whispered, as he dipped his head to lean his cheek against her ear.

"I'm sorry…I just."

"It's ok. Go back over by Micah. The police will be here in a minute." She nodded absently to him and somehow stumbled over to their friends. Karissa launched herself at Sari and he met Micah's eyes. He would suggest that they all go home, but he knew they wouldn't leave until he did. Jarik leaned against the building and rubbed his temples as he waited for the chaos to begin.

**\__/**

"And you kids didn't see anything?" The officer asked, clearly not interested in what they had to say, but trying to make it look like he was. Plus, if he wasn't thorough, he'd hear about it.

"No. We had just gotten to the Caf Room when we heard the scream." Jarik answered for the millionth time. He was sure his aunt Myri would not be happy with the officer taking their comments right now.

"It had to have happened while we were in the holofilm." Micah said, looking at Jarik and not the numnut in front of them. Jarik nodded and discretely jerked his head at the officer telling his friend they would talk about it later.

"All right. Well, if you remember anything just give us a call." Came the man's monotone voice as he walked away from them.

"Yeah, he loves his job." Sari snarked, causing the rest of them to smile.

"Should we stick around for your aunt to show up?" Micah asked, glancing at the girls when he did. Sari was shaken up, but not as bad as Karissa. Jarik knew he was going to have to do some damage control with her when they got back home.

"No. Probably a good idea to just go home. I'll talk to dad about it and I'm sure he'll want me to go and talk to her tomorrow." Micah nodded and quietly the group of friends made their way to the speeder.

Karissa was quiet the entire way home, making Jarik's stomach twist painfully. When she was quiet, it usually wasn't good. He pulled up in front of the temple so Sari could get out. Micah jumped out too.

"I'll be right back." He threw at his friend, then bounded up the steps after Sari. Jarik watched them until they got in the door, then looked at Karissa. She wasn't shaking, but her hands were running up and down her arms as if to ward off a chill.

"Talk to me Kissa." He whispered, reaching over to grab the hand closest to him.

"I feel like I need to scrub my brain. I keep seeing her eyes Jarik." She whispered, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. He pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying not to sigh when she snuggled against him. That was right where he wanted her he just wished it was under different circumstances. He had intended to ask her about the gala tonight, but that would have to wait until later.

"I know." He responded, glancing up to see Micah bounding down the temple stairs. "We should probably tell the rents what happened when we get home. Aunt Myri is going to say something to mom and I'd rather they hear about it now."

Karissa nodded her head in agreement and moved to the other side of the seat, her eyes trained one the floor again. Micah climbed into the back and his eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. Even he could feel the charged air in the speeder, but knowing better than to ask he leaned back in the seat and kept his comments to himself as they drove home.

When Karissa walked in the door, both her parents were sitting on the edges of their seats as if waiting for her to get home. Her mother jumped up to hug her and she let herself be pulled further into the room, feeling Jarik come in behind her. She should have known her mother would have felt something.

"What happened?" Jag asked, standing to walk over towards the women but keeping eye contact with Jarik.

"Dad wanted us to wait till he got here." As soon as the last word left his mouth the door opened behind him and his own parents, along with Jared, Seena and Micah walked in.

They all got comfortable and the kids relayed what had happened to their startled parents. Thankfully, no one interrupted the story.

"You need to talk to your aunt tomorrow." Kyp said, breaking the silence that had settled over the group. Jarik nodded, but didn't say anything. He had told them that he was the only person to see anything knowing that nothing good would come out of the knowledge of what Karissa had seen. She brought her head up to meet his gaze and the corner of his mouth came up.

**\__/**

Jarik was sitting in a chair outside his aunt's office, when Ajani walked in. He looked up and nodded to the giant of a man as the detective made his way into the director's office. A few minutes later, his aunt's secretary told him he could go in. Micah was supposed to be here with him today, but had forgotten he had a test he couldn't miss. They had talked until late last night about what Jarik had seen. He'd only gotten a couple hours of sleep and was feeling it this morning.

He walked in and Myri smiled as she stood up to give Jarik a hug.

"Your dad said you were at the scene last night." She said quietly, as they both took their respective seats and jumped straight to the issue.

"Yeah. Kinda wish I hadn't been." He said, Myri giving him a small smile.

"I know. It's not somewhere I'd wish my enemies to." Myri answered. "I read your statement, but why don't you tell me what you saw."

Jarik went into his story and started slightly when the detective reminded them of his presence.

"You didn't see anyone suspicious?"

"No. We were just getting ready to walk into the building when the woman screamed. I wasn't paying any attention to that part of the street since it was past our destination." Jarik answered, wondering why he felt like a bug under a microscope all of a sudden.

"Did you see the scene?" Myri asked.

"Briefly. I guess my curiosity got the better of me and I looked down the alley. No something you forget." He added quietly. "Was there a lot of blood at the other scenes?" Jarik asked, hoping they would be honest with him. He knew the answer when Myri and Ajani looked at each other instead of him.

"No." Myri answered as she finally met his stare.

"So something set him off."

"It would appear that way." Ajani said from across the room. "The victim fits the profile, but his MO changed. Not sure why, but we're assuming it's because he was upset."

Jarik nodded. "That's what we thought."

"We?" The detective questioned, wondering who else the kid had been discussing this with.

"Micah and I."

Myri chuckled and Ajani shot her a look. "Who's Micah?"

"He's Jared Obath's oldest son. Graduates from the military academy this year and I believe, if he hasn't changed his mind, wants to be an intelligence officer." She looked to Jarik for confirmation of her statement and smiled when he nodded.

"Interesting." The detective simply said. Might have to check that one out.

"I'm assuming you have a profile on this guy." Jarik commented and tried not to smile when Ajani hesitated. He would imagine the man wasn't used to talking to civilians about open cases.

"Yes, we do. But it's too vague. We don't know enough about him." Myri spoke up before Ajani could protest. He was going to have to trust her judgement. She knew her nephew wouldn't say anything that would compromise their case. He was just being analytical like his mother and maybe he would see something they hadn't.

"We haven't released the specifics to the public, but maybe we should." Ajani spoke up, his gaze focused out the window in Myri's office. He turned to face the two other occupants of the room. "Maybe we need to make sure that the people who are the most at risk know it."

"Who's to say he won't deviate from his MO again?" Jarik asked, before his aunt could say anything.

"No one. But he seems to have a very specific agenda at the moment. He's only attacking petite brunettes, and while this attack was more brutal, the victim was the same." He answered, pinning the young man with his gaze. A less trained person would have missed the slight widening of Jarik's eyes and the hitch of his breath. Ajani wouldn't have fit into the category.

"More brutal? What's more brutal than beheading a person?" The soon to be Jedi knight asked disbelievingly. "Is he doing anything else to the women?"

Myri shook her head. "No. He's been keeping to a pattern at least in that respect. He strangles the women, then separates their head from their body."

"What was different this time?" Jarik asked.

"There was blood." The detective simply said.

Jarik looked confused and Myri took pity on him. "Whatever weapon he's using, is closing the wound. So there's been very little blood at the scenes."

"Are you sure he's killing them there? Could he be killing them somewhere else and then transferring them?" When his eyes made contact with Ajani's, the detective narrowed his eyes and he felt mistrust emanate from the man.

"It's possible, but when the autopsies are done there's very little blood missing from the victim's bodies." Myri added, her gaze darting between the two men.

"What does your team think the weapon is?"

Jarik's question was met with silence and caused him to raise an eyebrow. "You have no clue, do you?" They were still silent, which gave him his answer.

"It's something big enough to go through a person's neck, but hot enough to close the wound. Correct?" He asked, not really wanting them to answer. Jarik was simply thinking out loud.

"That's right." Ajani said.

"Well, the first thing that would come to my mind is a li…" Jarik stopped himself when he realized what he had been about to say. He looked to his aunt and cleared his throat. "A lightsaber." He said quietly, feeling a spike in the detective's agitation.

"I hadn't thought of that." Myri said thoughtfully as she turned to Ajani. "It might be something to mention to the team." He nodded, but didn't take his eyes off Jarik. The young man met the detectives look, no fear or nervousness in his bearing.

"I'll mention it." He said shortly. "You're familiar with lightsabers?" Ajani asked, almost casually. Almost.

Jarik snorted. "You could say that. I've been around them my whole life."

"Do you have one?"

"I haven't finished building mine yet." Jarik answered, suddenly realizing what the detective was getting at.

"But you have access to them." He stated.

"Yes. I am in the temple five days a week. But then, so are a lot of other people." Jarik said, fighting to keep the defensiveness out of his voice. He wouldn't let the man goad him into losing his temper. His whole life he had dealt with people who had either not liked Jedi, or hadn't liked his father. Or both. It wouldn't be the first time he was assumed guilty just because his last name was Durron.

"But you've used one before."

"Ajani." Myri chastised, proud that her nephew hadn't gone off on the detective yet. His father would have.

"Yes, I've used one before. I'm also very close to some particular petite brunettes too. Not sure how that makes me a suspect though." He responded to the detective's comment.

"Who said you were a suspect?" The big man said innocently, his face not betraying the emotions that Jarik could feel.

"You might as well have said it. Your questions and body language are practically screaming the accusation." Jarik said, rising from his seat. "Or are you just upset that I thought of something you and your team didn't?" Myri stood then, having had enough of the posturing that was happening in her office.

"That's enough. Both of you. Jarik, I appreciate you coming in here today and Detective Paniz will pass on your idea about the weapon to his team." She said, coming out from behind her desk to give him a hug, then push him towards the door. "I don't want you to miss anymore of your studies today."

Jarik didn't take his eyes from the detective's. He simply nodded and left the office.

"What are you doing?" Myri said, rounding on him after her nephew left.

"What?"

"You practically accused him of being the killer!" She yelled, causing him to almost back up a step.

"I didn't say that."

"You might as well have!"

"Myri, I know he's your nephew, but he's also Kyp Durron's son. That alone makes me suspect him."

"Go." She told him quietly.

"Myr…"

"Now, detective. You have a case to solve." Myri turned her back on him, busying herself at her desk until he left the room.

**\__/**

"So, how did you do?" One of his classmates asked as they filed out of the room. Micah just smiled.

"I passed."

"Whatever. You aced that test Obath and you know it." Another voice said, causing the small group to chuckle.

"Good thing they don't grade on a curve. We'd be screwed."

Before Micah could answer, his comm went off. He waved absently to his friends and stopped on the side of the hallway to answer.

"Obath."

"I need to talk to you." Jarik said, the tone of his voice not sitting well with him.

"So talk."

"Face to face dude. This is important."

"Ok. I'm free now. Where do you want to meet?"

**\__/**

Jarik was already there when Micah finally arrived. They had decided to meet in Celebration Plaza, less chance of being overheard and easier to watch everyone around them.

"What's up?" Micah asked, getting worried when he saw Jarik's agitated state. Jarik didn't get upset. About anything.

"I just got done talking with my aunt."

"And…"

"Detective Paniz was there too and he practically accused me of being the killer."

"What!?" Micah said loudly, turning the heads of the people closest to them. Jarik grabbed his arm and pulled him over by one of the benches.

"Aunt Myri gave me some details they hadn't released to the public yet." He offered as the boys sat facing opposite sides of the benches. This way they each had a side to cover.

"So spill."

"Apparently, they know more about the victims than the killer. He's targeting petite brunettes and his MO hasn't changed, but the last one was different."

"How?" Micah asked and Jarik could almost see his brain working as they talked.

"He was a little more violent. You know that all the women…"

"Lost their heads."

"Yeah. But apparently, they had no ideas about what the weapon was. All the women were strangled first, then they were beheaded. Here's the deal, though. All the neck wounds were sealed shut. Almost like they were cauterized when they happened. So there was minimal blood spill."

"Was that just at the sight?"

"No. The victims were missing miniscule amounts of blood. Except the last one."

"He got pissed." Micah said, his face scrunching up in thought when Jarik nodded.

"Other than that, the victim was the same."

"They have no clue about the weapon?" The younger man asked, surprised.

"Nope. Until I made a suggestion. Which turned the detective into a rabid nexu."

"What was your suggestion?"

"Give me your opinion first." Jarik countered, wanting to see if his friend came to the same conclusion.

"Well, my first thought would be a lightsaber. But since I've been around Jedi most of my life, that doesn't really mean anything."

"That's what I thought."

"He accused you because you mentioned a Jedi weapon?"

"Yep."

"How did you keep from going off?" Micah asked, a chuckle escaping.

"I thought about what my mom would do if I did that."

"Oooo. Yeah, that wouldn't be good."

"I could just hear her say. 'Your father and I didn't raise you like that.'" Both boys shared a laugh then sobered quickly.

"So." Jarik started. "We have some psycho running around, using a weapon similar to a lightsaber and targeting petite brunettes. Does that about cover it?"

"Yep." Jarik answered, his eyes roaming over the crowd.

"Well that's just spiffy. I'm gonna have to think about this for a little bit."

Jarik laughed, then clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I shouldn't be surprised you're running with this. But don't say anything to the girls. Karissa has enough to worry about right now, I don't want her any more stressed than she already is."

"The survival test?" Micah asked as they started to walk across the plaza back towards their respective buildings.

"She'll be fine, but you know how she is sometimes."

"Oh yeah. We should stick to her like a mynock on a power cable too. You did realize she fits the profile?"

Jarik simply nodded, not trusting his voice.


	9. Chapter 9

-1!!

_Two weeks later… _

Jarik ducked to avoid the fist coming towards his head, shifting his body to deliver a counter blow to his opponent. He heard a grunt and didn't bother to hide the satisfied smirk that came to his face. It wasn't often that he got one up on his trainer so he enjoyed it when he could. They went through another series of moves and Jarik found his mind wandering. Usually, his focus was phenomenol but not today.

The killer hadn't struck since the day they had gone to the holotheater and it made him edgy. Now that he knew what the killer's MO was, he found himself worrying more. Mainly about Karissa. He had ticked her off a couple of times by sticking to her like glue, but he wasn't about to apologize. If anything happened to her…giving his head a small shake, he tried to concentrate on his training again.

He still hadn't asked Karissa about the gala either. There were only two weeks left and he needed to ask her soon. If he waited until the night before, which he was apt to do, he would have to show up alone and he knew Mya would jump on the fact. He knew the main reason he didn't want to ask. She might say no.

Jarik's opponent took advantage of his inattention and the younger man barely had time to react. His opponent's foot caught his right flank and Jarik found himself on his side on the mat. Falling backwards, he closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

"You're distracted today." Jag said, taking a deep breath and eyeing the young man resting on the mat.

Jarik simply nodded, trying to catch his breath.

"Any particular reason why?" Jag asked, throwing him a towel. He chuckled when Jarik didn't move and it landed on his face, obstructing his view.

"Lot of stuff on my mind." Came his muted answer as he reached up to wipe some of the sweat off himself. He sat up slowly and glanced at Jag.

"You wanna talk about it?" The former pilot asked, sitting on the mat in front of him.

"Just worried about classes. Worried about this stupid serial killer. Still a little peeved that someone actually thought I might be the psycho." He said as he scratched his head and mirrored Jag's pose.

"Well, no reason for you to worry about classes. You're acing everything. Not much you can do about the psycho. And we both know you aren't the one doing this. So stop worrying."

Jarik laughed, shaking his head at his 'uncle'. Of course Jag would tell him to blow it off, knowing that he wouldn't do so.

"That all that's bothering you?" Jag asked, raising an eyebrow and looking as if he was searching for something specific.

_Nope, I also happen to be in love with your dauther_. Jarik thought to himself. That would go over well.

"No. I'm just feeling the pressure I guess."

Jag stood and offered a hand to Jarik. Taking it, he popped up next to him and Jag smiled.

"That's understandable. You'll be a knight soon."

"Yeah."

"Don't sound so excited." Jag remarked, walking towards the bleachers to grab his bag.

"I am excited. I just…I don't know. I think I just need some downtime."

Jag laughed and turned back around to slap Jarik on the shoulder as he came to stand next to him.

"Jarik, you're a Durron. There's no downtime until you're dead."

!!

He stood outside her bedroom door, his hand hovering over the opener. Thankfully, Jag and Jaina couldn't see him from this far down the hall, but he felt his aunt's laughter wash over him. Sometimes it really sucked being around so many Jedi. Swallowing his nervousness, he opened the door and couldn't help but smile.

Karissa was sitting at her desk, working on her saber. So intense was her concentration, that she hadn't registered him opening the door. It slid shut behind him and he stood there for a minute watching her. Her long chestnut hair was tied up loosely in a hair band and she was leaning over her desk, biting her lip in concentration. _Damn she was cute when she did that._ He thought, then wiped the slate in his mind clean. He wasn't ready for her to know that yet.

Clearing his throat, he chuckled when she jumped and then threw something at him.

"I think you have anger issues, Kissa." He taunted, walking over to plop down on her bed.

"Just towards you." She snarked, finishing the piece she had been working on.

"Lucky me."

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Durron?" She asked, not turning back around to face him. He watched her concentrate for a minute as she maneuvered a piece into place. When she had it where she wanted, she turned her head to look at him. He was nervous. That couldn't be good. It actually made her a little nervous herself.

"Jarik?"

"Oh. Yeah." He said nervously, sitting up and hoping she didn't notice. "I wanted to ask you a question."

"Ok. Shoot."

"You know that I go to the Senator's Gala every year." He started, trying to remember his well rehearsed speech for this.

"Mhmm." She said, her face buried back in her work.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go with me this year."

Karissa didn't speak for a good three minutes and the silence was driving him nuts. She radiated nothing but calm and he started to wonder if he'd made a mistake.

"I know you don't like to dress up and you actually hate going to the things, but…"

"Yes."

"I thought maybe…What?" he said, realizing she had uttered something but not sure he had heard her right.

"I said yes Jarik. I'll go with you."

"Oh." He said, stunned that it had been that easy. After spending all day trying to think of every reason she could possibly come up with to say no, he was suddenly at a loss.

"You didn't think I'd say yes, did you." Came her snarky reply. Normally he would have shot something equally snarky back, but he was still too stunned.

"No. I didn't." He replied honestly.

Karissa set her tools down and turned her seat around to face him fully. A smile graced her face and he started to wonder what had happened to _his_ Karissa. Surely this person was a clone and his Karissa would come bounding out of the closet, laughing her ass off at his suggestion.

"Yes, I hate dressing up, but I think it'll be fun."

"Ok." He responded, somehow managing to smile.

She laughed and stood up to come and sit next to him. "You're not sorry you asked, are you?" Concern filled her voice suddenly.

"No." He said, rushing to reassure her. "No, not at all. I just didn't expect you to say yes and now I'm not sure what to say. I had all these arguments lined up to convince you to go."

Karissa chuckled.

"Go back outside and then come back in and I'll be difficult." She teased.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass. Thanks."

!!

The next day Jarik was walking to his fifth class of the day when Sari came up and looped her arm through his.

"Hey handsome."

"Don't let Micah hear you say that." He joked, causing her to roll her eyes.

"What's up? You seem tense today."

"I asked Karissa last night." He blurted out.

"No way!" She responded, causing him to stop and pull her to the side.

"Why is it, you always scream that out loud and I have to pull you over here to get you quiet."

"I thought you would never ask." She squealed excitedly, ignoring his chastising. "What did she say?"

"She said yes."

"No way!"

"Stop that!" He said, trying not to laugh at her excitement. "Good grief. You would think that Micah asked you out with the way you're acting."

She cocked an eyebrow at his comment. "We're not discussing my love life, or lack thereof at the moment Mr. Durron."

"I'm sure she'll tell you tonight. I still can't believe she said yes." He told his friend as they started back down the hall to their next class.

Sari smiled mischievously. "I'm sure she will. I can't wait to help her shop for a dress."

Jarik laughed. "At least someone will be enthusiastic about it."

!!

_A few hours later… _

Kyp rubbed his temples, thankful that class was finally over for the day. He loved kids, he honestly did, but he thought he might have to kill his last class. It was a Wampa class and the 15 year olds were sithing terrors. His own kids weren't that bad. Well, Galven was close, but at least he listened to Jade.

He had just palmed the sensor for his office door when his comm went off. Groaning, he fished it out of his pocket and collapsed into his chair.

"Durron."

"Kyp, can you come to my office please?"

"When the sith did you get in?" He asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling about Luke being here on an off week.

"Just get down here Durron!" Corran yelled in the background.

Now he was worried.

"Cool your jets. I'm coming." He thumbed the comm off and sat there for a minute, with his head resting against the back of the chair. The uneasy feeling was back again today and it was worse than usual. He had woken up with a splitting headache this morning and he hated starting the day like that. It hadn't helped that Jade had already been gone when he got up. Dialing his comm, he closed his eyes and didn't have to wait long for her to pick up.

"Durron."

"Well hello Mrs. Durron. How are you today?" He drawled, instantly feeling better just from hearing her voice. Finally, Kyp looked down and smiled at her.

"I'm not too bad. What's wrong?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"Luke just called me to his office and Corran is there too."

"Ah." Jade said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, Ah." He responded. Kyp scooted his chair up to his desk and laid the comm unit on it. He rested his chin on his crossed arms and watched her face as her thoughts were reflected across it. They had talked about his feelings over the past few days that something was going to happen soon. Jade wasn't convinced it was bad. He, on the other hand, was anything but optomistic.

"Is there a particular reason you're calling me instead of running down to see what he wants?" She asked after a minute. He saw a corner of her mouth turn up and he smiled.

"Just wanted to see your beautiful face Senator. If I'm gonna go, I want something to think about during my last seconds."

"Suck up."

Kyp laughed. "Never." Jade chuckled and he sighed.

"I just wanted to hear your voice." He whispered and felt her send her love across their bond in response.

"I love you too, Kyp. Now go find out what he wants and call me back."

!!

Galven Durron rolled his eyes and let his head fall back to the table. If this day went any slower, he was gonna have to hurt someone. Normally, he loved being in Master Zekk's class. He'd felt off lately and he couldn't figure out why. Jarik had told him he needed to talk to dad, but he wasn't sure it would help. Dad had seemed off himself lately.

He wasn't particularly close to his dad, at least not like Jarik. Galven had always found it easier to talk to his mom, considering they were so alike. It wasn't that he had a problem with his dad, he just couldn't connect with him and he hated it. Aiden connected with his dad and so did the twins. Sith, he was more comfortable around their dads than he was his own.

"Galven?" His head shot up at the sound of his name and he found Master Zekk giving him a concerned look. "You ok?"

"Yes master. I'm sorry."

"Alright." Zekk said, sounding unconvinced. "Now, I want everyone to turn to…"

He tuned the class back out and closed his eyes, sighing in frustration. The headache was better, but the echoes of it were still there. Thank the Force that the day was almost over.

!!

He arrived at Luke's office and stopped, leaning against the doorframe. The noise in his head had gotten worse on the way here and he knew he was just psyching himself out. Probably for nothing, but he couldn't help it. He didn't like feeling the way he had lately, but nothing made it go away. Not even Jade. She could make him forget it for a while, but it came back and it was driving him nuts. Shaking his head, he rang the door chime and was surprised to see it open a second later.

"It's about time. Did you crawl down here?" Corran asked, grinning broadly. Oh this was not good at all.

"Maybe it's just because you're old and it seemed longer than it really was." Kyp snarked and heard Luke chuckle from behind his desk. He made his way over to a chair and plopped down in it, resting his elbows on his knees. When he looked up, he found Luke frowning at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." He bit back and didn't miss the shock from both men that came through the force. "Sorry." He amended, rubbing his temples again.

"Kyp, you're not ok."

"No, I'm not." He told Corran, not meeting either man's gaze. "I've felt…off for the last couple of weeks. Most of the time it's like a haze on my brain. It feels like someone is sapping the enthusiasm out of me." He said quietly.

"That's just because you're old." Luke told him and they all chuckled at the thought. Kyp was the youngest out of the three of them. Luke was nearing 75 and Corran wasn't too far behind him. He hadn't reached 60 yet, but some days it felt like it. That was one reason he was thankful for his classes at least. It kept him limber since he and Jag didn't have time to run everyday anymore.

"At least you'll always be older than me."

"You haven't had any visions have you?" Luke asked, getting serious. Kyp shook his head and sighed.

"No, it's more of a feeling. There's a small taste of it everyday, but some days are worse than others. Today, is not a good day. I've felt bad since this morning."

"Have you meditated on it?" Corran asked, leaning back in his chair and giving him a thoughtful look.

"Yeah. Numerous times. Jade says that even she can feel it affecting me lately. She's meditated a few times with me, but we never get anywhere."

"It might be a good idea for the three of us to try after we have our talk." Luke offered and Kyp looked up to meet his gaze. He gave a slight nod and Luke smiled.

"Now then. Corran and I have been talking…"

"Sith." Kyp mumbled and glared at the younger of the two when he laughed.

"and we have decided on who the next Grandmaster should be."

"You what?!" Kyp shrieked. "Why do we need a new one? Is something wrong with you?"

Luke smiled indulgently at Kyp. He had been expecting this reaction, since he had gotten pretty much the same thing from Corran. "No, I'm fine. But I've just been thinking a lot lately and I think it's time to move to the next level. At least where the Jedi are concerned."

Kyp was stunned into silence. Luke Skywalker _was_ the Jedi. At least as far as most of the beings in the universe thought at the present time. To hear him say he was passing the title on was…hell, he couldn't even think of what it was.

"There's not many candidates and we wanted to get your opinion." Corran offered, hoping to coax Kyp out of his stupor. For once, Horn wasn't giving him grief and if he had been thinking clearly, that would have scared him.

"Jaina doesn't want it and neither of us believe she's ready for it." Luke said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers in front of him.

"She couldn't do it anyway." Kyp said and at Corran's confused look, elaborated. "She's still too quick to anger. She doesn't have the calm yet and I'm not sure she ever will. Plus, I think she's destined for other things." Corran nodded at his assessment and he felt Luke's amusement through the force.

"Ben is too young and says he doesn't think he wants the responsibility." Luke commented.

"I can't say I blame him. He has enough issues being the son of Skywalker." Kyp said, chuckling.

"I agree. He wants an active role, just not the end all be all."

"Who else have you considered?" Kyp asked, racking his brain to think of who was left.

"Zekk is happy where he is. He seems to do better with the students anyway and is more comfortable there. Valin has no interest and Leia, well she doesn't want it either."

"She's done her duty to the galaxy." Kyp said quietly and didn't need any acknowledgement from the other two men to know they agreed.

Kyp looked up at Corran and grinned. "Guess that leaves you old man."

Corran smiled at him and shook his head. "No. There's one more."

He flew through the list mentally and frowned, trying to figure out who they were talking about.

"Good grief Kyp. You!" Corran finally said, thoroughly enjoying the shock on Kyp's face.

!!

He palmed the door absently and walked into the living room to find Jade sitting on the couch. Kyp stood there for a minute, taking in the sight of her. Even after all these years, she was still just as beautiful as ever. There was a little grey in her hair, but she hadn't changed much. Her physique still had the ability to make him drool and with her 'babysitting' job as a Senator, she was still able to keep up with him and the kids easily. She looked up  
and smiled at him and his burden felt a little lighter.

"How did your meeting go?" She asked, starting to get up, but stopping when he motioned for her to not move. Jade frowned when Kyp seemed to not hear her. "Kyp?"

"Are the kids home?" He asked, avoiding her gaze unintentionally. She nodded and he walked towards the hallway to call them into the room.

A few minutes later, all three Durron children were in the living room, looking expectantly at their father. Galven and Rika had taken a seat on the couch with Jade, while Jarik was standing over to his right, by the kitchen. Kyp sighed and ran his hands through his hair, receiving a raised brow from his wife.

"I had a meeting with Luke and Corran today. Luke is stepping down as Grandmaster."

He felt surprise from his kids, but not his wife. Her curiosity seemed stronger at the moment and he chuckled to himself. There wasn't much that got past Jade.

"We tossed around some ideas on who could take his place and…and they want me to do it."

It seemed that they all moved at once after his proclamation. Jade got to him first and wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over. His two younger children were next, covering the side opposite of his wife. He looked up in Jarik's direction and was met with a grin on his oldest child's face and approval practically singing through the force from him.

He sure was a lucky bastard.

!!

Jade handed him a stack of plates and he moved over to stow them in the cabinet. The kids had been so excited during dinner, talking about Kyp taking the position and carrying the conversation themselves. Even Rika had been talkative. Kyp however, had uttered barely a word. Jade knew he was still in shock, trying to process everything in his head.

She stopped to lean against the sink and watched him. He wasn't upset, but he was definitely confused.

"Why don't you go and talk to JJ." Jade suggested, smiling when he looked her way and gave her a frown.

"I'm sure they're busy."

"Kyp Durron don't give me that. You need someone else to talk to about this and who better than two of your best friends." She said, walking over to wrap her arms around his waist and smirk at him.

"True. You know, you're pretty smart for a girl." Kyp joked, leaning down to brush his lips against hers.

"I know. That's why you love me." She responded as she stood on tiptoe to give him a real kiss.

"Agh! Can't you wait until we go to bed?" Galven spat, walking to the cooling unit to get a snack.

Kyp broke the kiss and looked over at his son.

"We just got done eating Galven. You can't be hungry already."

"I'm a growing boy dad. I need a lot of food." He said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Kyp sighed and his thoughts suddenly turned melancholy. He and Galven weren't close and he knew that part of it was his fault. The focus had been on Jarik so much lately, that he didn't give his other son as much attention as he probably should. When Galven had hugged him earlier after his announcement it had come as a surprise. He couldn't remember the last time his younger son had done that.

"He doesn't hate you." Jade whispered.

"Not yet." He said, moving away from her and rubbing the back of his neck. "He will though."

"Kyp…"

"I'll ask Luke about some time off. Maybe Galven and I can go fishing. He always likes that." He said quietly, taking her back into his arms and resting his chin on top of her head.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to go and pay a visit to the Fels."

!!

Kyp ran his hand through his hair as he walked down the hallway to go to bed. Everyone else had gone about an hour ago, but he had found he couldn't even fathom sleep at the time. As he passed Galven's room, he stopped as he heard noises. Smiling he realized it was just music and started to walk past. Instead, he turned and knocked on his son's door. The music was turned down slightly and when the door opened he had to smile at the shock on Galven's face.

"Hey dad."

"You got a minute?" Kyp asked, thankful when he nodded. Galven moved so his dad could come in the room and watched as he sat himself on the edge of the bed.

"Everything ok?" The thirteen year old asked, feeling a little apprehensive that his dad was here this late.

"Yeah. I just need to talk to you about something." He said, patting the open bed space next to him. Warily, Galven walked over and sat down. Kyp sighed and rubbed his face.

"I owe you an apology son." He whispered, his gaze centered on the wall across from him.

"For what?"

"For not being a good father."

Now he was really confused. He knew his dad wasn't perfect, but he'd always thought he was a great father. Sure, he would have liked him to be home more and maybe hung out more but what kid wouldn't.

"Dad, what in the sith are you talking about?" He finally asked and was rewarded with a chuckle from his father.

"You know, I did the same thing with Jarik that I'm doing with you." Kyp started and Galven remained silent thinking that maybe his dad just wanted to talk. "The first ten years I was there in the wings, waiting to take over from your mom and then when it was my turn to be the parent…I got scared."

"You got scared? Of what?" The younger Durron asked incredulously. "I didn't think you were scared of anything."

Kyp laughed outright at his son's comment and leaned his elbows on his knees.

"I'm scared of lots of things Galven. Scared of losing your mom, of something happening to you kids. Scared of growing old. And I don't mind telling you I'm kriffing petrified of being the leader of the Jedi." He stated, glancing at his son to see the disbelief lining his young face. "But what scared me the most out of everything else in my life, was being a parent."

"You're not a bad parent dad." He whispered, and Kyp sensed that he meant it but knew his kids deserved more.

"No, I'm not a bad parent. But I'm also not a good one. I could make excuses up, but I don't really have any."

"What did you mean when you said that Jarik went through the same thing?" Galven asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"When Jarik turned 12, that was the time that I should have taken over his molding, so to speak. He started acting out at home, not listening to your mother. But I didn't. I made myself busier at work and came home later and later thinking that she would be able to handle him. Your mother wasn't very happy with me then, to say the least." Galven snorted, but didn't say anything. "I was so scared that I was going to do one little thing wrong and he would end up going dark."

Galven suddenly had an epiphany. "Because you went dark." He whispered and his father nodded.

"I guess in my defense, I really had nothing to draw on about being a father to a teenage boy. My dad was killed before my 11th birthday and I was left without a father figure until Han came along. To this day I still consider Han like a father, but he had his own issues at the time and didn't' have time for me. Then Luke tried, but he just didn't know how to connect with a surly 17 year old. I promised myself that I would be there for my kids, like someone wasn't for me. I haven't done a very good job I think."

"That's not true." His son replied and he turned to look at him confused.

"Well, you're laying it all out on the table." He said, smiling. "You are a good dad, even if you aren't always around when we want. You show us how to act, how to treat other people. I've learned that it doesn't matter where a person comes from or what they've done in their past. They're still a person and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. I mean, you've done some bad things, but you still have so many people that look up to you and you always give people the benefit of the doubt. Even when they don't give it to you." Kyp stared at his son, speechless. He hadn't expected this. Hadn't been prepared. What he had been prepared for was a lot of yelling and ranting, but apparently he'd underestimated his son.

"No dad, you underestimated yourself." Galvin said quietly as their gazes met. "You haven't been the perfect dad, but no one is. Yeah, I would like to be able to spend more time with you and I wish we connected like my friends' dad's do, but I'm ok with it. I just get…moody sometimes about it. I know you're busy and can't always hang out and I'm ok with that most of the time."

Kyp sighed and leaned over to pull his son to his side. "I don't deserve you kids." He said as he buried his nose in his son's hair. "Course, I didn't deserve your mother either." He joked, getting a chuckle from Galven.

"I want you to promise me something." Galven nodded and Kyp leaned back to look him in the eyes. "Anytime you feel like you need to talk, or you need me around, even if it's something totally mundane or stupid, I want you to tell me. I may be the adult in the relationship, but I need a kick in the butt sometimes to remember that. Agreed?"

Galven smiled and nodded, his eyes a little glassy. Kyp returned his smile, then turned to pull him into a hug. "I love you son. Don't ever think I don't." He whispered, choking up a little himself.

"I love you too dad."

!!


	10. Chapter 10

-1!!

Chapter 10

He shouldn't have been surprised she was still awake when he finally got to their room. The lights beside the bed had been turned to dim and he could hear the water running in the fresher. He quietly changed into his sleep pants then walked over to the large window that dominated their bedroom, looking out into the rainy night. It didn't rain on Coruscant often, but when it did it tended to pour for hours.

This was how Jade found him. The lights of the skyline were blurry by the heavy precipitation and he smiled as he heard her walk up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I miss the rain." She told him quietly, her palm moving across his still toned stomach, sending ripples of warmth through him. He grabbed her hand and linked his fingers through hers.

"I know. Maybe we can take a trip to Nyreen soon. It's been a while since we've been there, and I know your father would love to see the kids."

"That would be nice." Jade responded, turning her head to plant a kiss on his shoulder.

"Plus, I can talk to him about this." Kyp added quietly. He frequently called his father-in-law when he needed someone's opinion about something. Michael was always more than happy to help and enjoyed the calls. Jade's mother had passed away a few years ago, and they didn't get out to Nyreen as often as they wanted to.

"So what's really wrong?" She whispered and he chuckled, having known they were going to have this conversation eventually. Turning around, he pulled her to him again and looked into her eyes. He saw pride, love, happiness. The same things that he saw always were present in her gaze.

"I don't know if I can do this." He said quietly, showing a rare moment of self-doubt.

"Kyp, you've practically been doing it already."

"It's not the same." He said, pulling away from her and walking over to the bed to sit down. Kyp leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"How is it not the same?" She asked, turning but not moving towards him.

"Because I wasn't responsible for everything then. I just handled a small part. This…this is a big deal."

"Why do you think you can't do it?" She continued, knowing he was beating around the bantha trying to avoid the answer.

Kyp rubbed his temples, willing the headache to go away. "I don't want to be responsible for losing a student to the dark side."

Jade sighed and sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around one of his and leaning her head against his shoulder. "It's just like raising our kids Kyp."

He snorted and pulled away from her to lay down on the bed. "That's what I'm afraid of. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't worry about them. Wondering if today is going to be the day they take that path."

"No wonder you're so kriffing tense all the time." Jade said, smacking his leg and causing him to wince. "Kyp, stop doing that. You have to believe that they will make the right choices. You can't hold their hand for the rest of their lives. They have to make their own mistakes and we have to trust that we raised them to be good people."

"I know." He whispered, laying his arm across his eyes.

"For someone who knows, you sure worry an awful lot." She offered, standing to turn the light off in the fresher. He didn't move as she climbed into her side of the bed and lightly kicked him to move over. Chuckling, he got up and mirrored her actions, pulling her to him.

"Besides." She whispered. "Don't you think that Luke has those same thoughts?"

"I don't know. I've never asked him."

"I can guarantee he does, but he doesn't let it stop him." Pulling his gaze down to hers, she lightly caressed his cheek and smiled. "Give yourself some credit love. You've been a great teacher, father and Jedi. Allow yourself to follow your destiny."

"My destiny? You haven't had a vision have you?" He joked. Jade shook her head slightly and gently kissed him.

"No. But you're a great man Kyp. It's only natural you would be a great leader." She whispered and he stared at her, shocked by yet another member of his family tonight.

"Now I know why I married you." He said, after he had recovered his wits.

"Why is that?" She asked, snuggling closer to him.

"Because you know how to massage my ego."

Jade chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard I'm pretty good at that."

!!

_Next day… _

Kyp awoke the following morning, feeling a little better about the situation. Jade was already awake and from the smell wafting into the room, cooking breakfast. He took his time in the shower, running over everything in his head.

When he walked into the kitchen, he smiled at the sight. Jarik and Galven were having a discussion on speeders, while Rika sat quietly watching her brothers. He walked over, pulling Jade into his arms and giving her a lingering kiss.

"Gross!" Galven said, holding his hand over his mouth. Rika giggled, while Jarik just rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Morning." Kyp said, ignoring his children to focus on his wife.

"Morning, handsome. I was starting to think you weren't going to get up." She said, putting the last plate on the table then joining everyone there.

"I thought about it, but then what kind of example would I be setting." He joked.

"A good one." Galven said through a mouthful of food. Kyp raised an eyebrow at him and he finished chewing then apologized. Rika giggled and Kyp couldn't help the smile that came to his face. He never, in his wildest dreams, thought he would get the chance to have a family. Everyday he thanked the force that he had found Jade and that they had happy and healthy children and didn't take for granted how lucky he was.

"I was thinking…" Jade started.

"Uh-oh." Galven commented and received a smack on his arm from Jarik.

"As I was saying, I was thinking about what happens if you take Luke up on his offer."

"What do you mean?" Kyp asked, confused. "We don't have to move, if that's what you're worried about. I'd rather stay here than move back into the temple. At least while the kids are young."

"That's not what I was worried about."

"Then what?" He asked, not sure he was going to like what she said.

"I think I should resign my post."

"What!" All three male members yelled. Jade and Rika both jumped in surprise and the senator frowned.

"But mom, you love your job." Galven commented. "Why would you want to leave it?"

"Yeah, you've worked hard to get where you are. There's no reason you can't keep it." Her oldest son added, and she smiled at them both in thanks.

"It has nothing to do with liking my job or not. It has to do with creating problems for your father."

Kyp stopped eating and looked at her. "Jade, you don't have to quit. I can be grandmaster even if you're a senator."

Jade sighed in frustration and glanced at Rika, the two females sharing a look.

"Kyp, my staying a senator would not be in your best interest. The main reason being, how quick would it take one of my detractors, or yours, to jump on the 'here the Jedi go again, trying to run the galaxy' bandwagon? You'd spend half your time trying to convince everyone that your wife has no influence on any of your decisions and not spending time on what you need to be spending it on."

There was silence at the table and Jade allowed herself a huge grin. There was a first time for everything. She couldn't remember the table ever being this quiet during a meal.

"I love you." Kyp finally told her.

"I know, honey. I know." She said, patting his arm and giving him a sly smile.

"Besides, you're going to probably have to have someone just to handle all your own issues. I can help with your PR at least."

"What the sith does that mean?" He asked.

"Because daddy, there are going to be people who don't want you to be grandmaster cause of the things you did." Rika said quietly. Kyp looked at her, surprised. They had never hidden Kyp's mistakes from the kids. It had been a necessity to tell them, considering their classmates would probably know about all of them. He was so proud of how they had handled it though. Even if the boys had gotten in a couple of fights about it.

"You're too smart for your own good, angel." He said, giving her a smile.

"I know. I get that from mommy."

!!

"So he's not sure if he's going to take it yet." Jade finished, looking to Jared to see his reaction. He'd been quiet the entire story, not that it was unusual.

"Why not? He's practically doing it now."

"That's what I told him. He's just worried he won't do a good job."

"I'll just have to beat it into him that he'll be fine then." Jared joked, turning the speeder down the street the Senate building was located on.

"What are you going to do if I resign?" Jade asked quietly, not sensing any anxiety from him.

"Good Question."

"I mean, I won't need a bodyguard anymore. I'm sure we can find you another senator or ambassador."

"You're kidding, right? You're still gonna need a bodyguard. Maybe, not like you do now, but I'm sure I can find something to do. Especially if you're going to be active in helping him."

"Do you think he's going to need protection? There will definitely be some very unhappy people if he takes the position." Jade asked, worry in her voice.

Jared reached over and took one of her hands in his. "It's always a possibility. Don't worry, I'll talk to him about it and even if he doesn't want me to do it, we'll figure something out."

She squeezed his hand in thanks and went back to looking out the speeder window. Most people left Kyp alone. There had been a few zealots over the years, but nothing that had worried her too much. This was a whole new smashball game though.

"Hey." She looked over at Jared and he smiled.

"I told you not to worry about it. Try listening to me for once."

Jade laughed. "After 20 something years, I think it's a little late for that now."

!!

She sighed as his lips gently trailed down her neck. His arms around her waist tightened as she leaned her head back onto his shoulder to give him more access. Her intention had been to come and see if he was hungry for lunch. She hadn't realized he wanted her instead of food, not that she was complaining. One hand slithered up her tunic to run across her tummy and she closed her eyes turning her head to capture his mouth.

"I hate to interrupt your 'lunch time' but you should really lock the door. There are impressionable children around."

Jaina jumped at the sound of Kyp's voice and heard Jag's chuckle.

"I asked you if you locked it, Jagged." Jaina reporved.

"I was a little preoccupied, love." He chided gently, nipping her lightly on the neck and not letting her up from his lap. Finally, she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Kyp.

"This had better be very good." She told him slightly miffed.

"I need to talk to you two." Kyp said, taking one of the seats in front of Jag's desk.

"Really, I thought you were just thinking about going into voyeurism." Jaina snapped playfully, still trying to rise from Jag's lap. His arms of steel wouldn't budge and she resigned herself to staying there.

"What's up?" Jag asked, leaning his chin on Jaina's shoulder.

"I had a meeting with Corran and Luke yesterday." He started, scratching the side of his head and frowning.

"And…" Jaina urged.

"They want me to take over Luke's spot."

Kyp could feel the surprise leap at him from his two friends, but it was tempered with something else. Happiness. Not for each other, that was always there. No, it was for him. They both knew how much he had wanted this and how he thought he would never get it.

Jaina leapt up from Jag's lap and wrapped Kyp up in a hug. Jag merely sat in his chair smiling broadly.

"I'm so happy for you Kyp!" She told him excitedly, stepping back to look up at him then frowning. "What?"

"I haven't accepted it yet." He told her quietly.

"Why the kriff not?" Jag asked vehemently and they both turned to look at him. "It's the only logical choice Kyp. I dare say you'll do it as well as Luke if not better. You've more than moved past your issues you had when you were younger. You now garner as much respect as Luke does and on a broader scope. Couple that with the success of Jade's career in politics and I'm not sure you'd have as much opposition as you think."

Kyp stared at Jag, knowing that his friend was right but still having a hard time accepting he deserved the role.

"Durron, you've earned this. Don't think you haven't. You know Uncle Luke wouldn't have offered it if you hadn't." Kyp nodded and sighed.

"Come on. Just go down to his office and tell him yes. He's not going to make you take over today." Jaina said, pulling him towards the door.

"Wait." Jag called out quietly before they could get too far. He walked over to them and without warning pulled Kyp into a hug. The older man hugged him back and Jag gifted him with a smile when they pulled back.

"You do realize that this means I'll be your boss?" Kyp said slyly.

"You do realize that I don't really listen to Luke either." Jag countered pushing his friend towards the door. "I'm sure you know where his office is and you don't need Jaina to hold your hand." He added, lightly shoving Kyp out the door and giving him a small wave as the door shut.

"You guys are worse than teenagers!" Kyp called back through the closed door, then chuckling walked back to his room.

!!


	11. Chapter 11

-1!!

Chapter 11

"No!" She yelled, suddenly remembering where she was she fought to control herself. "I said I'm not helping you. Stop asking me Cutter. Just leave me alone!" She told him hotly, then terminated the connection and threw the comm in one of the fresher sinks and turned the water on.

!!

Aiden ran up the stairs and down the long hallway at full speed. He was late and Admiral Darklighter hated it when students were late. Hopefully he wouldn't get detention for it. He ran up another short set of stairs and stopped suddenly before he reached the top step.

A shiver ran down his back and he looked around as if sensing something. His eyes scanned the area around him but he didn't see anything.

_No more horror films._ He said to himself as he traversed the last step and started walking down the hallway. Adjusting his bag on his shoulder, he walked past a bank of lockers and nearly screamed when something came at him.

His butt his the floor hard and he scooted away towards the opposite side of the hall as he stared at the offending thing.

"I'm sorry kid. Wasn't watching where I was going." The janitor told him, walking towards him and offering a hand to help him up. Aiden stared at the hand for a moment, then blew out a breath and accepted the assistance.

"No big deal. You just surprised me." Aiden told him, a small smile coming to his face. He leaned over to pick up his bag and nodded at the man then walked to his room. Missing the narrowed eyes that followed him.

!!

"What do you mean she's refusing to help?" The older man asked, trying to keep his calm.

"She refused last time but I just thought she was bluffing. She just refused again."

"We have to do something about it. She's intrical to our plan."

"I'm aware of that. I'll take care of it. It's time to send her a little message."

!!

"Dude, the janitor scared you?" Micah asked, trying not to laugh at his little brother.

"I'm surprised I didn't scream like a little girl." Aiden said, a smile forming on his face. He could laugh about it now, but it had taken a good hour for his heart rate to return to normal this morning.

"Don't do that." Micah chided him playfully as they ventured out into the late morning sun. The academy courtyard was bustling with cadets eating their lunches. The brothers found a spot over by one of the fountains and sat on the ground, their trays in front of them.

"What do you care? You're gone after this year."

"Exactly. The last thing you need is to let everyone know you scream like a girl. I won't be here to save your ass next year." Micah felt something wet against his cheek and heard his brother's laughter as he reached up to wipe what he assumed was food from his cheek.

"Not funny little bro."

"Actually." Aiden said between giggles. "It was extremely funny."

!!

Kyp knew something was wrong before he even turned down the hall. Sighing, he quickened his steps and found his worst fears reality when he got to the small atrium. A small group of students, mostly 15 and up, were gathered loosely in a circle and he didn't even have to guess what they were looking at. He heard the sickening thud of flesh hitting flesh and started forward when something caught his eye. A few meters away from the fight stood Mya Cortz, a satisfied smirk gracing her lovely face. That one had been trouble from day one and it all had to do with her father. He was one of those senators who was only there for himself and how much money he could make off something. She tended to copy his mannerisms, which made her a stuck up little witch to everyone else.  
He groaned internally. Those were Kissa's words, not his.

He started to turn back to the crowd when Mya raised her arm and sent a small, controlled burst of force energy over the group and obviously towards one of the girls involved in the melee. A shriek followed and a self satisfied sneer blossomed on her face. Quietly, he backed up and walked a different path to come up behind her and another group of students slightly in front of her.

"That wasn't something we teach in your classes, Mya." His voice said, causing her to jump a little. She turned around to find Kyp standing behind her, his hands behind his back and a passive look on his face.

"What.." She started, but he cocked his head and she stopped the lie before it started. The other students around her turned to see what was going on. Kyp whistled loudly and everyone in the room froze. He saw one student inching their way towards an archway and raised a brow in their direction, stopping them in their tracks. Turning his attention back to Mya, he sighed.

"I saw what you did…or at least enough of it. Considering this is your first offense, you'll just have to serve detention. What time is your study period?" He asked, radiating nothing but calm. Kyp felt Zekk's familiar signature coming in their direction and relaxed slightly.

"Next hour." She answered, looking more sure than she felt.

"Fine. I want to see you in my office."

He saw her visibly swallow and hated it. The last thing he wanted was the students being afraid of him, but she had tread a little farther than he liked with her stunt.

"I'm going to be keeping an eye on you Mya. Try not to step out of line again." He told her and waited until she nodded before he turned to help Zekk take care of the bigger issue.

!!

"Hey, Kissa!" Sari yelled to her friend across the crowded and very noisy atrium. She shoved her way through the throngs of students and finally make it to Karissa's side.

"What's up?" She asked as they walked towards the entrance.

"You heard about the party right?" Sari asked, glaring as someone walking by and ran into her.

"The one the academy kids always hold?"

"Yep. You going?" Sari asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"I didn't even bother asking. My dad wouldn't let me go. Not as long as he was alive at least."

"Just tell him you're here studying with me. It's not that far from here, so we can always leave early and be back in time for your curfew." The younger girl pleaded. "Come on. You know you wanna go."

"That's not the issue. My parents will kill me if I do."

"But they don't have to know. We'll be fine." She said, still hanging on her friend's arm. Karissa really wanted to go, but she wasn't usually one to disobey her parents. Of course, if they never found out…

"Promise we'll be home in time?"

"Promise. I don't want you to get in trouble. It'll be fun."

"Ok. I'll ask mom and dad if I can stay here to study tonight."

!!

_Later that night… _

Karissa walked towards the back of the house, figuring the fresher had to be back there since she had tried every other part. The music was annoyingly loud, but she had managed to fade most of it out with the force. Not really a good way to be using her gifts, but it was better than being deaf later. They'd been here for about an hour and while she was having fun, she really was starting to wish she hadn't come. If Jarik had been here it might not have been so bad, but even then she would have had to avoid him. Like they were doing with Micah. If he saw there were here he would throw a fit and take them home. She smiled absently at the few people she passed and was about to turn down a hallway when a familiar voice stopped her.

"Did you see who was here?" She heard Mya say to someone.

"You mean Karissa Fel?" Her breath caught in her throat. She knew Mya didn't like her and had always suspected that she talked about her, but she had never heard it herself. Usually she didn't care what people thought about her and she wasn't quite sure why it bothered her so much why Mya didn't like her.

"You mean Kissa." She spat, as her companions giggled.

"Kissa what?"

"A hutt probably. I think that's all she could probably get with how her daddy keeps her holed up. " Karissa closed her eyes as she felt the familiar pricks of tears. She was stronger than this. It shouldn't hurt this much, since she'd been called worse before. But she was already out of her comfort zone being here, and lying to her parents hadn't helped at all.

"I can't understand what Jarik sees in her." Mya cackled as she was answered by affirmatives.

"He probably just feels like he has to hang around with her. Their parents are friends after all."

"Yeah. He's so sweet. He wouldn't want to hurt her feelings." Finally, Karissa had heard enough. She turned on her heel and shoved her way through the people, not caring how rude she was being. Her name being called barely registered to her, and she was out the door before someone could catch up with her. Her steps took her down the stairs, and she blindly threw herself in the direction of home.

!!

Sari looked around searching the crowd for Karissa. She'd been gone for 10 minutes and she knew it didn't take that long to find the fresher. Sighing, her gaze ran back over towards the front door and she spied her friend pushing her way towards the exit.

"Karissa!" She yelled, starting to make her way towards her friend. If Karissa made it to the door before she did, Sari knew she wouldn't be able to catch up with her. She could feel the need to run coming off of her friend.

"Karissa!" Her voice got louder, but it was drowned out by the music that filled the room. The door opened and she watched as her friend disappeared through it. Sari stopped and scanned the crowd for Micah. She had noticed he was here earlier, but Karissa had told her they needed to stay away from him. Who was she kidding. She hadn't gone over to talk to him because of the girls he had been talking to. They intimidated her because they were older, prettier and pilots. Things she could never be. Finally, she found him in a corner, and she shoved her way to him.

"Sari? What are you doing here?" He asked, the girls he had been talking to forgotten. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her over towards the wall so he could hear her.

"Karissa just left!" She yelled, hoping he heard her.

"Karissa is here?" The shock was evident on his face and Sari bit her lip and nodded.

"Shavit! Neither one of you should be here!" He growled, starting across the room and pulling her behind him. Sari followed, mostly because she didn't have a choice since he hadn't released her. After a minute they finally made it to the door and burst out into the fresh night air. The thumping music was dulled as the door closed and Sari scanned the immediate area around the house, even though she knew Karissa was probably half way home now. She felt for her in the force, but came up against a wall. Karissa was shutting her out.

Micah cursed again and she cringed as he ran his hands through his hair, then started down the steps. He walked a few meters then looked back and saw that Sari wasn't following.

"Come on. I'm taking you both home when we find her." He said as he waved her over to him.

"Micah, you've been drinking, you can't drive." She said quietly as she walked towards him.

"Yeah, well by the time we find her and I give her a piece of my mind I should be completely sober." He mumbled and Sari could feel the anger mixed with worry that was rolling off him. She never should have talked Karissa into coming tonight.

!!

Jarik bit his lip as he maneuvered the small wire into place on his lightsaber. It was difficult because he needed the light to see where the piece went, but he kept getting his head in between his work and the light. He almost had the wire in place when his comm went off, making him drop the metal down the shaft. Biting back a curse, he picked up his comm and threw down the pliers. This had better be good.

"Durron."

"Jarik. Thank the force you're home."

"Micah?" Jarik asked, a shiver running down his back at his friends' tone. Micah was at a party that Jarik himself was supposed to go to, but he had decided to stay home and work on his saber instead. He was done with the casing and most of the more complex parts, but he was anxious to get it done.

"I need your help."

"You're not drunk are you?" Jarik asked, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temple with a hand.

"Listen. You need to get down here."

"Micah, I told you I'm working on my saber. I don't have time right now."

"Jarik! Shut up and listen." He sat up straight, his breath caught in his throat. "Karissa was at the party and she just left. By herself."

"What!?" He stood up and his chair fell back onto the carpet, making a dull thudding noise. "She said she was going to study at Sari's."

"Yeah, well Sari is here too. Dude, I can't drive. I've been drinking and I don't think driving should be high on my list of priorities now. I've covered the immediate area, but I figured it would be faster for you to try and find her. She's blocking Sari's attempts." Translation: he needed Jarik to use his bond to find her. Jarik heard the desperation in his voice and his brain suddenly started thinking of where she would have gone. The party was three blocks from their house and was mostly graduating kids from the military academy that Micah knew. He couldn't believe Karissa had gone, knowing that if she got caught there was going to be hell to pay.

"Ok. I'll find her." He told Micah as he stood up and grabbed his jacket and started walking out the door. His parents were out to dinner tonight and his siblings were over at the Obath's spending the night. "I'll call you when I do."

Jarik disconnected the call and opted to take the stairs, knowing that the wait for the lift would drive him nuts. He took them three at a time, concentrating on not falling on his face. That wouldn't help Karissa very much right now. Absently, he reached out to see if he could find her in the force. By the time he made it to the garage, he felt a brief annoyed brush from her then panic.

"Sith." He swore, jumping in and gunning the motor as he tried to figure out where she was. It was always dangerous trying to use the force as deeply as he was and drive at the same time, but he somehow managed not to kill himself. Barely. He was two blocks from the apartment when he felt her scream in his head. Pulling over to the side of the street, he parked and closed his eyes, concentrating on her.

Her fear was palpable and it only took him a few seconds to pinpoint her location. Reaching back into the car, he pulled his blaster out from under his seat, then ran down the street.

Hang on Kissa. He sent to her, hoping she could feel his presence. Jarik had ran about 100 feet when he stopped and oriented himself. She was close. He started to look around him, when he felt her pain and had to lean against the building to steady himself. Catching his breath, he looked across the street and stretched out again. There!

Thankfully, traffic wasn't too bad right now so he was able to dash across the street with minimal issue. He ran down the alleyway trying not to think about if he would make it in time. Coming to an intersection, he looked down the darkened alleyways on either side of him and felt her fear spike again, prompting him to take the right path. He was making so much noise that he knew he couldn't sneak up on whoever was hurting her, but at this point he didn't care. Jarik just wanted her to be ok.

He heard what he thought was a struggle a few meters away and he ran faster. "Kissa!" Jarik heard the sound of footsteps moving away from him and almost ran right by her, until she reached out and kicked him in the side.

It took him a second to recover and realize that she thought he was whoever had just attacked her. He moved towards her and thought he heard her fall, but the alley was too dark and his eyes hadn't adjusted yet, so he had to rely on the force to find her. Finally figuring out where she was, Jarik grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up to her feet, trying to keep her hands from inflicting any permanent damage.

"Kissa!" He yelled, but she wasn't responding. A foot connected with his knee and he clenched his teeth to keep from yelling. Jarik wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, hoping she would stop struggling.

"Karissa, it's me." He told her quietly and nearly wept with relief when she finally settled against him, sobbing. Waiting a few minutes, to make sure she didn't struggle again, he loosened his hold and released her arms, putting one arm around her waist and the other held her head against his chest. Jarik leaned against the wall behind him and rested his chin on her head. He could feel the turmoil rolling through her and wanted to know what had happened, but knew he had to give her time.

After a few minutes, her sobs finally quieted and she leaned back from him. Her tear stained face was visible, even in the near darkness of the alley. Jarik reached up to brush her cheek dry and waited for her to tell him.

"Someone grabbed me." She whispered, her voice rough. His stomach dropped at her comment, but he didn't' say anything. "They pulled me into the alley and started to choke me. I couldn't get away Jarik. He was so strong and I couldn't get away." Another tear drifted down her cheek and he fought to keep his anger under control. He guided her head back to his chest and ran his other hand up and down her back.

"It's ok. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." He whispered, feeling her clutch the front of his shirt in desperation. Sighing, he knew that he had to get her back home and to her parents.

"I need to get you home. Your dad will want to call the authorities."

"No!" She yelled, pushing away from him, her eyes wild in the half-light.

"Karissa, you were attacked. Your parents need to know. The police need to know."

"No. You can't tell them Jarik. Dad won't let me out of the house until I'm 40! I'm ok, I wasn't hurt."

He'd never seen Karissa like this. Yeah, she could be goofy and a little dense sometimes, but she was always cool and calm, like her father. This was not a side of her he hadn't known existed and he assumed it was because of the attack.

"Promise me. Promise you won't tell them." She begged him, walking back towards him and grabbing the front of his shirt again.

Jarik felt torn. He had never broken a promise to Karissa, but this was one he wasn't sure he could keep.

"Don't ask me to do that."

"Please Jarik." She pleaded, not taking her gaze from his. When he closed his eyes and sighed, she knew she had won. Her head fell to his chest and he hugged her to him again, sure he had just made a promise that he would have to break, along with her heart.

!!

Jarik walked Karissa back to the speeder and they made it up to the apartment in silence. He quickly shot off a comm call to Micah to let him know that he had found her and was taking her home. She hadn't said a word since they had left the alley and that worried him. He stood in front of her door and made sure he heard the lock before he walked down the hall. Jarik was fighting a small battle within himself and it didn't seem to him it was going to be over anytime soon. Punching in the code to the door, he walked into the darkened living room and started to walk down the hall.

"Jarik?" His mother's voice came to him and he stopped, but didn't turn around. It took him a moment to answer, but he knew him mom wouldn't push the issue. Slowly, he turned around and could make out her form by the balcony door. She stood facing him, her arms wrapped around her, concern radiating from her direction.

Walking over, he stopped and looked out the door, as she had been doing before he had arrived home. He could feel her gaze on him, but he didn't turn to meet it. Jarik had always found it easier to talk to him mom than his dad. Not that he couldn't talk to Kyp, he just preferred Jade. She didn't jump to conclusions like his dad had a habit of doing. Kyp said it was because she had gotten so much practice being an ambassador and being married to him.

"I have to break a promise." He whispered, his voice cracking as he said it.

"And that bothers you." She said, now staring out at the skyline like him.

"Yeah."

"Do you have a good reason for breaking it?"

Jarik hesitated. "Yes. But the other person definitely won't think so."

Jade was silent as she digested what Jarik had told her and the feelings she was getting from him. Her son was so like his father. Always taking the weight of the world on his shoulders and not showing any weakness. It was a Durron trait that drove her insane, but she had accepted it long ago. Both her husband and her oldest son were good men and she had never doubted their abilities to make good decisions, even when they doubted themselves.

"Sometimes, it's ok to break a promise. If someone is going to get hurt or going to hurt someone else, then you owe it to them to say something. They won't like it and your relationship will probably change, but if it is strong enough to start out with, then eventually the person will forgive you."

"What if the person can't forgive you?" He whispered and she could feel the sorrow in his voice. Jade reached over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Then we cope honey. Think about it this way. Losing that person physically or losing them mentally. If they're still here at least you know that they'll be safe, even if they can't ever forgive you. If they're gone, that's a whole different hurt that is much more difficult to deal with." Jarik didn't answer, but she hadn't expected him to.

"It's not an easy decision. But you have to be able to live with whatever you decide."

!!

Jade slipped into bed and smiled when Kyp moved to wrap his arms around her.

"Everything ok?"

"Yep. Our son was just having a Durron moment."

She chuckled at the emotions coming off of Kyp. There was indignation and confusion along with some amusement. Turning around in his arms, she smiled and placed a kiss on his lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, as she moved her attention to his neck.

"Hmmm?"

"You're avoiding the subject love."

"Are you complaining?" She asked, trailing kisses down his chest. It didn't take him long to decide.

"Not in a million years. I'm still breathing after all."

!!


	12. Chapter 12

-1!!

Cutter sat on his bed, flexing his hands open and closed. He had come too close to killing her tonight. The bloodlust had been racing in his veins and when he had happened upon a girl fitting his needs, he had blindly struck out. The cinnamon colored eyes and brandy brown hair hadn't registered in his brain until he had heard that Durron brat call her name.

He had kept himself concealed in the dark the entire time, but there was always the chance she had seen him. Seen the real him. His hands shook slightly and he gritted his teeth at the weakness. It was too late to turn back now. He wouldn't be satisfied until he was done. The mistake was just one more thing he could blame on the man who had ruined his life.

!!

Jarik didn't get much sleep that night. He bounced back and forth between thinking about the promise and wondering if Karissa was alright. A few times he had even gotten up to call her, but had stopped himself and tried to go back to sleep. Finally, he got up and took a shower, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. As he got dressed, he tried to figure out how he was going to do this. He couldn't just go over and say something, Karissa would have a fit. Hell, who was he kidding, she was going to have a fit no matter what he did.

Walking out of his room and into the kitchen, his dilema was solved for him. Jag and Kyp were sitting at the kitchen table, laughing quietly over a cup of caf. Both turned to smile at him when he walked in.

"Hey son." Kyp said, then frowned. "You ok?"

Jarik didn't answer, just went over to sit down next to his dad and across from Jag. They were silent as he tried to find a way to spit out what he had to say.

"I need to talk to both of you." If he hadn't grown up around Kyp and Jag he would have been uncomfortable with the absence of sound that had just taken over. With these two men, silence spoke volumes.

"Something happened last night."

"And?" Kyp finally said when his son didn't elaborate.

"Karissa got upset at the party she was at last night and left without telling anyone. Micah called me and I went looking for her."

Jag hadn't said anything, but it didn't take a Jedi to tell he was not happy. Closing his yes, he prayed Karissa could forgive him.

"Son…"

"She was attacked a few blocks from here." Jag shot up out of his seat so fast the chair fell back with a clatter and he was halfway out of the kitchen before Kyp could stop him.

"Jag, wait." Kyp called after him, rising to stop his friend. Jarik didn't move from his seat, knowing his dad wouldn't need his help. He just hoped Jag didn't kill him for not saying anything right away. A few minutes later, both men walked back into the kitchen, but Jag didn't sit down when Kyp did.

Jarik couldn't meet Jag's gaze, so he concentrated on a chip in the table. Kyp laid his hand on his son's arm and nodded for him to continue. He cleared his throat and did so.

"I found her, but the guy who attacked her was already gone. I assumed he got scared when he saw me. She was hysterical. At first she thought I was the guy, but eventually I convinced her I wasn't. She said…" Jarik took a deep breath, putting his head in his hands. "She said he tried to choke her. Once I got her calmed down, I told her we needed to come home and tell someone, but she freaked out on me again. Made me promise not to say anything."

Jag hadn't moved from his place near the sink. Jarik wasn't even sure he was breathing.

"I'm sorry I didn't come tell you right away Uncle Jag, but…I've never broken a promise to Karissa. She's gonna be so pissed at me when she finds out I told." Jarik said, suddenly feeling like he was 11 years old and not the mature 18 year old he actually was.

Kyp chanced a glance at Jag and rubbed his hand over his mouth. While he wished Jarik had said something right away, he couldn't blame him for not. He apparently had made sure she was ok and got home, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to satisfy Jag.

"Give us a minute, Jarik." His dad asked him and he nodded, going into the living room.

!!

"Jag?" Kyp asked, looking at him from his seat. His friend said nothing. With Jag that could be good or bad. He had a feeling it was the latter in this case.

"Look, I can't say I agree with how he handled it. But I also can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing."

"Me either." Jag whispered, easing Kyp's anxiety just a fraction. "Somebody tried to hurt my little girl Kyp."

The master got up and paced the room, not sure what to say. He would have already been out of the building, looking for someone's head to tear off if it had been his daughter. Somehow, he had a feeling Jag was feeling the same way and was only limited because he didn't have the force to use.

Jag sighed, and pushed off the counter to walk into the living room. Kyp followed and had to smile a bit when his son stood quickly, like a rookie getting ready for a dress down from his commanding officer.

"Thank you for telling me." Jag told him quietly and sincerely.

"I'm sorry, I…" Jag stopped his words with a hand to his shoulder.

"Don't be." He said, looking the young man in the eyes. Jarik nodded his understanding and Jag turned to leave the apartment.

Father and son stood in silence, neither sure what to say.

"You didn't get any sleep last night, did you?" Kyp finally asked, and wasn't surprised when his son shook his head no. "Go try to get some sleep. I'll let your teachers know that you won't be in today."

His son looked up at him, confusion plastered across his face.

"Trust me, son. You're gonna need it." He was referring to Karissa's reaction and knew his son understood.

!!

Jag was sitting at the kitchen table when his family started to wake up. He didn't have to be a Jedi to know by the sounds coming from the boys' room that they were already antagonizing each other and they hadn't even gotten out of bed yet. A smile came to his face as he heard Jessa talking to her stuffed animals, telling them she would be back before she left for school. He didn't hear the usual sounds from Karissa though, and he sighed as he thought about how bad this was going to be when he said something to her.

Not only had she lied to him about where she was going last night, she had asked Jarik to lie for her. That coupled with the fact that she hadn't intended to say anything to anyone about what happened to her last night, did not make Jagged Fel very happy. His wife was not going to be happy either. He said nothing as the boys came into the kitchen 30 minutes later, gave their father an inattentive hello as they grabbed some food, then left to go down to Jared's place to see Aiden. Jared would make sure they got to school today, as always.

Jessa came in and sat down at the table, soon followed by her mother. Jaina glanced at Jag, knowing something was wrong, but didn't say anything. She assumed that he would wait until Jessa and Karissa had gone to school. Twenty minutes later, Kyp came by to pick up Jessa and take her and Rika to school, and still Jag hadn't moved or said anything.

Jaina sat down next to him, sipping her caf and decided to broach the subject.

"What's wrong?"

Jag glanced at her briefly, and she felt his shields slip slightly. Her eyes widened at the anger she felt boiling off of him and she suddenly became worried. Before she got a chance to ask though, Karissa walked into the kitchen, a fake smile on her face. He followed her progress to the cooler unit and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sit down, Karissa." He commanded quietly.

Jaina saw her daughter stiffen and glanced back and forth between the two of them.

"What's going on?" She demanded, starting to get nervous. Silently, their daughter came and sat at the other end of the table from them, her gaze suddenly finding the grain in the table the most facinating thing in the universe.

"You're grounded for a month." Jag told her and didn't flinch when both women whipped their gazes to him. If anything, his gaze narrowed as he saw Karissa start to get angry.

"He told you, didn't he!" She yelled. Jaina sat there, wondering what in the sith was going on. "He promised he wouldn't!" Karissa started to get up from the table, when her mother stopped her.

"You're lucky he told me, period. I have half a mind to ground you until you're 30."

"Sit down." Jaina told her daughter, then turned back to her husband. "What happened?"

"Ask your daughter." He said calmly, though he felt anything but.

"Karissa?"

She wouldn't meet her mother's eyes, knowing that in a few seconds she would be just as mad as her father. Clearing her throat, she sighed and told her.

"I went to a party last night."

Jaina didn't say anything for a minute, just sat there and stared at her oldest child. Karissa had always been a good kid. She tended to do levelheaded things and didn't let people lead her in the wrong direction. So this came as a shock to Jaina.

"So you lied to us." Jaina said quietly. Karissa nodded her head, still staring at the tabletop. She wasn't about to volunteer anything else.

"Tell her the rest, Karissa." Her father ground out. She knew he was trying to keep from yelling right now and that didn't really make her feel any better. "Or, should I call Jarik over here so he can tell her?"

Her eyes shot up then and he raised his scarred brow at the anger he saw there. He didn't envy Jarik right now. Karissa wasn't going to forgive him anytime soon, and that was unfortunate since he had probably saved her life. Hopefully, someday she would realize that.

"What else happened?" Jaina asked cautiously. Karissa kept silent, determined not to say anything. She really couldn't get in any more trouble than she was already in. Could she? The disappointment and anger seethed from her father, and she fought back the tears. She hated disappointing him, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

"She was attacked last night on the way home." Jag whispered, having to force himself to say the words.

!!

Jarik vaguely registered that someone was knocking on his bedroom door. When his dad had told him to go back to bed, he'd done just that. His exhausted body had fallen instantly asleep but his mind had kept working. Force he hated that. Hearing the knock again, he groaned and effortlessly opened the door. Too tired to even turn his head the other way, he smiled when he felt his friend's presence.

"Wow. You look as bad as I feel." Micah said, falling onto the bed next to him. Thankfully his bed was huge and he had no issues with Micah making himself at home. Considering he could kick him out of it before he could utter 'uncle'.

"Thanks. Glad to know you're feeling my pain this morning buddy." Jarik said dryly, finally turning his head to look at Micah. There were dark rings under his eyes and he felt shaky in the force. "You ok?" He asked quietly.

Micah brought a hand up to rub his temples. "Yeah. Just feel like shavit."

"Well, if you wouldn't have drank so much last night…"

"Dude, I was sober by the time I got your call. Seeing your life flash before your eyes will do that to you." The younger man said, his arm falling back to the bed.

"How's Sari?"

"Well, she was scared out of her mind when I dropped her off. I think she was feeling a little guilty too. She apparently talked Kissa into going last night."

"Ah." Came Jarik's reply. The two friends laid in silence for a few minutes, trying to decide if more talk was needed before committing themselves to it.

"You got classes?" Jarik asked.

"Yeah, but I'm cutting them. Dad tore me a new one this morning and mom wasn't too happy either. But they told me to stay home and get some rest."

"Me too. Well, dad told me. I wasn't in the room when he told mom, but I'm sure he did."

Silence.

"You don't think that the person who att…"Micah started, only to be stopped when he turned his head and met Jarik's gaze.

"Yeah, I do."

Silence.

"I bet uncle Jag was furious."

"He definitely wasn't happy. Karissa won't be either when she finds out I ratted on her."

Micah snorted. "Dude, you didn't rat on her. You probably saved her life. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"She's still gonna be pissed, though." Jarik added.

"Definitely."

Silence.

"You crashing here?"

"Yep."

!!

They had sat at the table for a while after Karissa had gone back to her room. Jaina knew her daughter hadn't gotten any sleep last night, so she told her to go back to bed and she would take care of letting her teachers know. Jag had closed himself back off from their bond, but Jaina knew he was still livid. It was evident in his posture and his silence.

Finally, she got up to put their dishes into the sink and started to turn around when her emotions got the better of her. She never heard him get up, but he was suddenly there holding her as she wept. He whispered assurances to her quietly as she cried, running a hand up and down her back. After the storm had passed, she heard him sigh and leaned back to look at him.

"Last night, when I…"

"I know." He told her, feeling just as guilty as she was. They had been at dinner last night when Jaina had felt something. At least once a month he made sure he took Jaina out to a nice dinner, just the two of them. Not that they minded taking their kids, but it was nice to spend time alone. They didn't get nearly enough of it. Towards the end of dinner, Jaina had suddenly stopped in mid sentence, dropping her utensil in the process. Jag had fought the panic down, knowing it was one of their children.

_"Jaina?"_

"Kissa was upset." She whispered. "Then she cut me off."

"But she's ok?" Jag asked worriedly. "We can go home now if..."

Jaina reached out to her daughter, but only felt a calm return from her. Then Karissa cut her off again.

"I think she's ok." Jaina answered him, but he could tell by her look she wasn't convinced. 

_"We'll go." He said, starting to stand when she laid a hand on his arm._

"If she's in trouble, she'll let us know." She told him quietly as he sat back down. "She's going to be an adult soon Jag. We have to trust her." Jag simply nodded, but they both knew it would worry them the rest of the night. 

"We should have…" Jaina started, when he interrupted her again.

"I know. But there was nothing we could have done, Jay. Jarik would have already gotten to her by the time we would have even started looking for her." He whispered and she laid her head back on his chest. She knew he was right, but the guilt was still there.

"What I want to know, is how he managed to attack her?" Jag asked a few minutes later. "She's a Jedi. How did he sneak up on her?"

Jaina sniffed and hugged him tighter. "It's possible that she was so upset that she didn't really pay attention to her surroundings. She knew that it was dangerous to be out by herself, but she was anyway. I have to believe she just wasn't thinking straight. She's not that stupid."

He snorted. "I'm not sure she was using her brain at all last night. Considering she bold faced lied to us once and almost got away with it twice."

She didn't respond and he sighed. At least she would be safe today, in the apartment. Jag had a hard time thinking she was going to leave it today while they were away.

!!


	13. Chapter 13

-1!!

Chapter 13

_Following morning, dawn… _

He sighed heavily as her beautiful eyes started to droop shut, her mouth open in a silent scream. His fingers clenched unconsciously around her slender neck and his pulse raced as it always did. This one wasn't as satisfying though. She didn't fit into his plan, rather she was a message. A message that Cutter didn't take no for an answer, from anyone.

!!

Kyp jerked awake, his breathing heavy as he took a few seconds to collect himself. He sensed danger, but it was muted, as if far away. Clearing his throat quietly, he turned his head to see Jade peacefully sleeping beside him. He gazed at her for a few minutes, a smile climbing to his face then sighed realizing he wasn't going to be falling right back to sleep. Quietly, he got out of bed and padded towards the fresher when a potent wave of anger stopped him. His knees nearly buckled from the intensity and he blindly grasped for the wall to steady himself. Leaning his head against the cool wood he took a handful of deep breaths as he slowly felt the blackness recede.

"That was intense." He said quietly, turning to see if he had made enough noise to wake his wife. Satisfied that she was still sleeping soundly, he gathered his wits enough to stumble into the fresher. He waited until the door shut behind him to turn on the light and half expected to see something behind him in the mirror. _That's the last time I watch a horrorfilm with Galven_. He thought to himself, leaning down to turn the water on and splash a little on his face. When he righted himself he ran his hand over his jaw and stared at his reflection.

He hadn't felt anger like that in a long time and if he wasn't losing his touch he could swear it was directed at him. Reaching out he tried to see if he could find the source, but was met with a wall. Weird. Was he inadvertently connecting with a force user somewhere? Or was this just a random burst of anger he just happened to catch? He had trouble believing it was the latter. His shields weren't perfect, but they were better than that. Shaking his head slightly, he grabbed a hand towel to wipe his face off and walked back into the bedroom.

Slipping quietly back into bed, he started to pull Jade into his arms then stopped. Just because he was up at this hour, didn't mean she needed to be. Somehow, she sensed his uneasiness though because she reached out and pulled him closer. Smiling to himself, he kissed her forehead and tried to turn his brain off.

"Kyp?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered, one hand caressing the back of her head.

"It's ok." She said, her voice husky with sleep. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be watching anymore holofilms with Galven though." He joked, hearing her chuckle at his response.

"Well, the one you watched was particularly gruesome."

"I'm starting to wonder if I need to worry about him." Kyp joked.

"Nah. He's a typical teenager. Jarik likes those things too and I remember my brother forcing me to watch them growing up. He'll be fine." She placed a kiss on his chest and his hand stilled.

"You are insatiable, you know that." He mumbled knowing full well he wasn't upset about it. She would know that too.

"I don't remember hearing you complain dear." Another kiss joined the first and he found his disquiet from the unexplained wake up call disappearing quickly.

!!

_Later that morning… _

Jarik was standing in the hallway, talking to one of his friends, when he felt her coming down the hall. Plastering a smile onto his face, he said goodbye to his friend, then turned to greet her.

"Hey Karissa…OW!" Jarik shouted, holding his shoulder as he grimaced. "That hurt."

She leaned close to him, anger roiling off her. "You're lucky I haven't finished my saber yet or I'd stab you with it." She seethed, then stalked away from him.

"Karissa!" He called after her, weaving his way through the crowd of kids leaving their classes. It had been a little over a day since he had seen her and while he had braced himself for this confrontation, he hadn't been fully prepared for it. He finally caught up to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a nearby classroom that was thankfully empty.

Jarik stood between her and the door, not giving her a way out. Though he knew if she really wanted out, she would accomplish that goal.

"Just let me apologize." He asked her as she paced the room like a caged animal.

"Apologize?! How do you apologize for breaking your promise?!" She screamed at him.

"Damn it Karissa, I couldn't keep that from your father. I should have gone straight to him, but I didn't out of deference to you. I know you're pissed at me…"

"That doesn't even begin to cover it." She said coming closer and poking a finger in his chest. "I'm beyond pissed."

"Kissa, your parents had to know. Surely you can see that, even though you're angry with me. You want someone to take your anger out on, fine. I'm right here and no one else is around. Have at it!" He shouted back, throwing his arms wide, his own anger starting to rise.

She stopped and turned away from him, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. The room was plunged into silence, except for their breathing and Jarik finally walked over to her. She turned as he moved to take her in his arms and he buried his face in her hair.

"Gods Karissa, I'm so sorry I had to break my promise to you. Please don't think that I found it easy." He told her, closing his eyes when he felt the wetness of her tears through his shirt.

"I thought we were friends." She sobbed, and he knew she was trying to hang onto her anger but was failing miserably.

"We are. You're the most important person in my life." He whispered, and smiled when her head came up, confusion stamped on her beautiful, tear stained face.

"I am?"

"Sure. You're kinda like the sister I don't have to live with." He joked, not really feeling very brotherly lately. Karissa's face fell and he frowned at the response. "What, you don't want to be like the sister I don't have to live with?"

The sound of the door swooshing open stopped her response and they both turned to look at the intruder. Her father had walked partway into the room and stopped about 2 meters from them. He was now looking at them with a blank expression. Karissa realized they were standing entirely too close to one another and took a step back, trying to compose herself.

"Is there a particular reason you two are in my classroom? Alone." He asked, not moving as his eyes darted back and forth between the two of them.

"Um…"Karissa started, but Jarik was faster.

"She just wanted to thank me for the other night by ramming me through with a light saber. We figured it would be less messy in here than out in the hall."

The silence was profound after Jarik's statement and both youngsters became uneasy. Jag, simply stood there revealing nothing. Finally, he sighed then started over towards his desk.

"Go do it in Durron's room. I have class this afternoon and don't really feel like cleaning up the blood."  
He sat down at his desk and after a few minutes realized they were both still there, staring at him.

"Why are you still here?"

Instantly they moved towards the door, almost as one and Jag had to fight the laughter down. He could imagine his daughter had tore Jarik one, but he knew the boy could hold his own where his little girl was concerned.

Out in the hall, the pair had stopped right outside the door still in shock.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She mumbled and he had to smile.

"It's ok. I'm kinda used to it."

!!

Zoan didn't acknowledge Ajani when he sat down next to his desk. Chancing a glance at the older man a few minutes later, he noticed how weary he looked. Not that he was surprised. This case was weighing heavily on him, on all of them. He suspected there was another reason Ajani looked so downbeat, but he kept his comments to himself. His boss liked to keep his personal life just that; personal.

"What you got?" Ajani finally asked.

"Got a call at 0400 hours this morning from someone saying there was a body on the steps of the Jedi temple. I took the CSI guys out and we found a 17 year old female, blond, green eyed on the bottom portion of the temple steps." Zoan paused, his fingers rapping on the desk. "She fits the MO." He added quietly, sitting back in his chair to make eye contact.

Ajani stared at him, not sure what to say. Either their killer was changing his victims or they had a copycat. He wasn't happy with either theory.

"You id her yet?"

"Yep."

"And…"

"You're not gonna like it." Zoan told him.

"I don't like a lot of things Zo, now tell me who the vic is."

"Mya Cortz."

!!


	14. Chapter 14

-1!!

Chapter 14

"Galven?"

The middle Durron child raised his head off his desk and frowned at Master Zekk. Looking around he saw that the room was empty except for the two of them.

"Are you ok?" Zekk asked, taking the seat next to him.

"No. I have a monster of a headache." He said quietly, wincing at the noises filtering in from the hallway. Zekk realized what was happening and closed the door with the force. He didn't have a class right now, which was a good thing.

"Did I fall asleep?" Galven asked, still lost in the haze of pain.

"I was going to ask you that. You made it about halfway through, then your head went down and didn't come back up." Zekk commented, lightly probing the boy. "This isn't the first headache you've had, is it?"

Galven shook his head and took a deep breath.

"Have the others been this bad?"

"No. They usually go away after a few minutes. This one just hit me."

Sensing that the hallway was now empty, Zekk stood and helped Galven to do the same.

"Come on. Let's get you down to the infirmary."

!!

"She doesn't fit the profile." Myri said, the strain evident in her voice. He nodded and all but felt her frustration increase.

"Myr…" Ajani said, hesitating, then reaching out.

"Don't." She said, swatting his hand away and walking over towards the window. Ajani's lips thinned and he rubbed his head unconsciously.

"It's been three weeks. I said I was sorry and explained my actions. Why are you still mad at me?" He asked quietly, not moving from his spot.

"I'm not mad at you." Mryi stated, her voice neutral.

"Really?" He asked, sarcasm slipping past his defenses. "Because you could have fooled me. Between the blatant snubs during meetings to the not returning my comm messages and even going so far as to instruct your secretary to tell me yo'ure not here…that tends to tell a man you're still mad at him." Her spine stayed ramrod straight and he sighed in defeat.

The silence in the room was deafening before she finally answered.

"I'm not mad at you…anymore." Myri whispered, wrapping her arms around her. He forced himself to resist the pull of going over to comfort her. More for his benefit than hers, since he found it hard to use his brain when he touched her.

"Then, what's going on? Why are you pushing me away?" He asked quietly, willing his body to loosen up.

"I'm just scared." Was her reply. That made him move. He hesitated slightly when he got right next to her, but pushed himself to keep going.

As soon as her head hit his chest, he felt her relax and wind her arms around his waist. Closing his eyes, he practically shouted out his joy at her small act. She'd kept him further than arm's length for the last three weeks and it had driven him nuts. He had readily acknowledged to her that he made a mistake in attacking Jarik as he had. Numerous apologies had followed, all of them heartfelt, but he had been afraid the damage was done. In grasping for straws, he had touched the one he shouldn't have even have placed in the pile. All the while he had watched what he had once hoped would be a relationship with Myri slip further and further away from him.

"Why are you scared?" He asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer, but confident enough he could handle it now that she was in his arms. She was quiet for so long that he thought he was going to have to ask again.

"You know that last time I got any sleep?" She said to his chest, avoiding his question.

"When?"

"Three days ago."

"You haven't slept in three days?" He asked incredulously, pulling back to study her face. She had looked tired, but he had been so caught up in trying to solve this stupid case and having his own pity party that he hadn't really looked at her.

"I got a small nap yesterday, but it was only about 30 minutes." Her gaze didn't meet his as she kept it centered on his chest.

"How the sith are you staying awake?"

"Stim pills. Lots of strong caf." She said giving him a dry laugh. Her voice seeming to get weaker with every answer she gave him and that cemented his decision. Abruptly, he pulled away and walked over to disappear through her door. She was too shocked to say anything or move, so she just stood there, staring after him in surprise. He came back in, his step a little lighter and walked over to grab her bag, throwing it over his shoulder and grabbing her arm gently.

"What are you doing?" She asked, not having the strength to resist him.

"Taking you home. I had the rest of your appointments canceled for today and tomorrow."

"Ajani!"

"Don't argue with me, because right now you won't win." He told her quietly, but forcefully as he led her past her secretary and down to the lift.

!!

"I can't find anything wrong, Master."

"He's getting unexplained headaches and there's no residue that someone has been in his head other than his family in passing. There has to be something wrong." Zekk said quietly, his eyes darting over to where Galven lay on one of the examination tables.

"If there is, it's not physical." The young doctor told him. Zekk nodded his thanks and sighed.

!!

Their trip was quiet as he drove her home, though that wasn't unusual for them. Myri was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open and that only solidified his actions. He parked the speeder in the garage and she somehow managed to find the strength to get out. Cupping her elbow he led her to the lift and thankfully it only took a minute to get to her floor.

Stopping in front of the door, she reached up to put in her code and he gently shoved her inside.

"Ajani..." she started but he stopped her when they got to her bedroom.

"Not now. Now, you need to sleep. We'll talk when you get up." Still moving her towards the bed as he talked. She plopped down and when she laid back on the pillows on her own he reached down to take her shoes off. Pulling the blanket at the end of the bed off, he laid it over her and turned to leave.

"Thank you." She whispered, but if he answered she never heard him.

!!

Had he not been around Jaina for over half his life, Jag would have been agitated with the silence of his oldest daughter. Karissa sat next to him in the front seat, her gaze turned to the view outside her window. The twins and Jessa chatted happily in the back seat, seemingly oblivious to what was going on in front of them. He knew it would be a few days before his daughter even acknowledged his existence again, but he knew he could handle it. He'd done it with her mother so many times he was a pro at it by now.

When he pulled the speeder into a space and got out, the children all filed out and the small group made their way to the lift.

Jaina looked up as they walked in and her eyes sought out his. They shared a smile, then Jag frowned slightly as Karissa walked by him and down the hall to her room without a word. Sighing, he took off his jacket and threw it over the back of a chair, then made his way into the kitchen. Jaina followed him, getting dinner out of the cooling unit. She wasn't cooking, because Jag happened to like his kitchen just like it was. However, she did have the ability to put something already made into the cooker.

"What's going on between Kissa and Jarik?" Jag asked, sitting down at the table.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't answer my question with a question, dear." He joked, kicking his feet up onto the chair across from him.

Jaina sighed and turned around to meet his gaze. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure."

"No." She said, walking over to swat his feet down and sit in the chair they had vacated. "If you had asked me that question a month ago I could have told you positively they were best friends."

"And now?"

"I'm not sure. They seem…different with each other now. It's nothing huge, just little things. They touch each other a lot more than they used to and I see them trade looks that are…different."

"You keep saying that."

"Well, I don't have a name for it. The biggest thing, is Karissa said she would go to the Senator's Ball with him. That right there should tell you something is up." She gave him a puzzled look. "Why are you asking?"

"I walked into my classroom today and they were there together. Alone and standing kinda close. Jarik said that they had chosen that room because Karissa was going to stab him with a lightsaber and they didn't want to make a mess in the hall." Jaina giggled and he couldn't help but smile. They had been a little worried that Karissa would be a basketcase after the attack, but so far she had been ok. As much as could be expected anyhow.

"You think they were doing something else?" She asked, getting back up to put dinner in the cooker.

"No, but I definitely think I interrupted something."

"Would you have a problem with that?"

"What? Interrupting something?" He asked, but she knew from the tone of his voice he was ribbing her.

"No you numnut, with Jarik and Karissa."

"Not in 30 years, no."

"Jagged!"

He chuckled and got up and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Yes, I have a problem with that. I have a problem with anyone who wants to date my daughter. Regardless of whether it's Kyp's kid or not."

"But you wouldn't be as upset if it was Jarik?" She asked quietly.

"No. Jarik's a good kid and he knows how to deal with her. If he's crazy enough to want to date her, then that's his lookout."

She smacked his forehead lightly and turned in his arms.

"You like him and you know it."

"That's not the issue." He said, leaning down to kiss her nose. When she closed her eyes and smiled, he placed a kiss on her jaw, then moved down.

"Mmm. Jag?"

"Hmm?" He said, as he kissed her neck and settled his hands on her hips.

"The kids are in the other room."

"Yes they are." He said quietly, moving his mouth back to her ear. "But you can hear the last three coming from a kilometer away and I doubt that Karissa is going to come out of her room until dinner." Jag stated, finding the spot behind her ear that drove her insane.

"What, we're just gonna drop here on the floor?" She joked, her hands roaming across his chest.

"Don't tempt me, Goddess."

"That's what I do best."

"You know," Kyp's voice said, making them both jump. "I swear I need to keep you two separated."

"Damn it, Kyp!" Jaina wailed, shooting him a glare. He smiled and leaned against the doorway.

"Now you know how I felt when Jade and I were dating." He said, not looking the least sorry. "Between you two and Jared it's a miracle I ever got laid."

"Did you need something, Durron?" Jag asked, not letting Jaina move away from him when she tried.

"No. Just wanted to come over and interrupt you again." He said, walking over to sit down at the table.

Jaina glared at him and he just smiled, kicking his feet up on the chair next to him.

"I was just checking to see how Kissa is." He said, his gaze leaving Jaina's and darting around the room.

"She's fine. Still pissed at me, but fine." Jag said, letting go of his wife finally and moving back over to the table to mirror his friend. Jaina snorted at their poses and shook her head. The topic of discussion chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. She avoided the eyes of everyone in the room and went over to the cooling unit to get a drink.

"Hey Kissa." Kyp said, a small smile on his face. She didn't turn around, but she did stop briefly.

"Hi uncle Kyp." She murmured, then quickly left the room.

He looked at Kyp and grinned. "So, how long did you ground her for?" Kyp asked.

"A month."

Kyp froze, his face scrunching up in a painful grimace.

"What?" Jaina asked as she joined them at the table.

"Guess that means she won't be going to the ball."

"No, she won't." Jag said quickly, receiving a glare from his wife.

"She broke the rules and our trust Jaina. She doesn't deserve to go." He said defensively, looking to Kyp for help. His friend wasn't even looking at them. Kyp had turned his head, acting as if the wall was extremely interesting.

"Jag, she already picked out her dress and everything." Jaina pleaded.

"No." He said curtly as he got up and left the room. Jaina sighed and turned to Kyp.

"Maybe I can convince him later." She said slyly causing Kyp to chuckle.

"That's low, Goddess." He snarked, but Jaina could still sense his disappointment.

"Will Jarik be upset?"

"I don't know. Probably, but he's a big boy. He can handle disappointment."

Jaina nodded, leaning her head on her arm and turning slightly in her chair to face him.

"So how's Galven?"

Kyp looked confused. "How should he be?"

"I just thought that after going to the infirmary today…" But she never got to finish her sentence. Kyp bounded out of the chair and towards the door before she could.

!!

Galven was sitting in his room, playing a video game with Rika when he felt his agitated father outside his room. He didn't put the game on pause, knowing his dad would come right in and guessing that he knew what the conversation was going to be about.

True to form, Kyp didn't even knock to enter.

"Honey, can you leave for a minute?" Kyp said quietly, not looking at his daughter.

"Sure dad." Galven answered, starting to get up.

"Not you, smart ass." He mumbled, a small grin coming to his face. Rika looked between her brother and her dad, wondering what was going on. Galven smiled at her and she sat her controller down and stood up.

"Ok daddy." She said quietly, then left.

Galven sat, still facing the paused game and Kyp sat down next to him. They both winced when one of his knees popped. He glanced over at his son and found him fighting a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm old." Kyp said, finally getting settled and picking up Rika's controller. Galven didn't say anything as he unpaused the game and they started playing. It was an X-wing game and apparently his sister had been kicking Galven's butt before Kyp had interrupted. After about five minutes, Kyp finally spoke.

"Anything you need to talk about?" He asked, as he shot down his son's ship for the fifth time.

"Yeah, I can't fly."

Kyp laughed and nodded. "You can blame your mother for that."

"I will." Galven said through gritted teeth, finally shooting Kyp down.

"Anything else?" Kyp prodded, hearing his son sigh and shoulders slump for a moment.

"I went to the infirmary today." He whispered, the game forgotten.

"Why?"

"Apparently I passed out in Master Zekk's class."

"You passed out?" Kyp questioned, looking at his son confused.

"Yeah. But the doctor didn't find anything wrong."

"How long?" He asked, knowing Galven would understand the question.

"Couple months."

"Last time?"

"This morning?"

Kyp felt his chest constrict painfully.

"What time?" He asked cautiously.

Galven finally turned to look at him. "What time?"

"What time did you get the headache originally?"

"This morning, it was early. The sun hadn't even come up yet."

"Sith." Kyp swore, standing up and starting to pace.

"Dad?" He asked, worry lacing his voice.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kyp asked, his voice wavering.

"It's just a headache. I didn't think it was a big deal." The young man said, starting to worry.

"Something happened to me this morning, at the same time." Kyp told his son as he stopped pacing and their gazes met. "I've had them for the last couple of months too."

"What does it mean?" Galven asked, confused.

"I don't know. But every time I get one, they find a body from the serial killer." Kyp whispered.

!!


	15. Chapter 15

-1!!

**Chapter 15 **

_Later that night…_

He was relaxing on her couch, going over some things on his data pad when his comm sounded.

"Paniz."

"I have something you're going to want to see." Came Zoan's voice.

"Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like it?" He mumbled, becoming more worried when Zoan didn't laugh. "What is it?" The lead detective asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"A video."

"Of what?"

"Mya Cortz's murder."

"Give me an hour and I'll be there."

!!

Even on the third viewing, he still heard Myri's small gasp from beside him. It was extremely painful to watch, but he forced himself to do it. It was all they had right now. The quality sucked and it wasn't that close, but you could see what was going on.

He looked up to see Zoan staring at him expectantly. Shaking his head no, he watched as the young detective turned the footage off, hopefully for the last time that day.

"Start throwing things out kids." Ajani told the group, knowing they needed to start analyzing this now before someone found out they had it.

"Well, the person had a cape on and shoulder length hair." Carwyn said, stating the obvious first.

"And they were using something that looked like a lightsaber." Nori added, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"The wounds on the young lady's body would support that line of thinking." The Duros coroner said.

"The only problem is that could be anybody in that footage." Zoan finally said what they were all thinking.

"Do we go to Skywalker with this?" Ajani asked her, knowing this was not easy for her in the least. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"We have to." She whispered. "He will probably have some additional footage, even though it will be just of the dumping of the body. It's a start."

!!

_Next day…_

She had just slipped the final piece of her saber into place when the knock sounded on her door. Smiling to herself, she absently told whoever it was to come in, but didn't turn around.

"You finished." Jarik said quietly, as he came over to stand behind her chair. She nodded and turned around to say something when she noticed he held a cylinder in his hand. Her eyes widened and shot up to his and he smiled. "Freaky, huh?" He said, holding his finished saber out for her perusal.

"Slightly." Karissa responded shakily as she reached out for his, giving him a questing glance. He nodded and handed his saber over to her, perching on the end of her bed. She gripped the brushed silver hilt with both hands and smiled as she traced the symbols carved into it. It had to have taken him hours to put them on.

"What does it say?" She asked quietly as she turned the cylinder slowly, watching the line wind up the hilt at an angle along a ribbon of metal that stood out from the hilt. It reminded her of a vine twisting it's way around a column.

"You have to have a darkness...for the dawn to come." Came Jarik's answer. She looked up and he smiled softly. "It's in my mother's language. I figured it was appropriate." He added and she nodded softly. They held gazes and Karissa watched a bevy of emotions play over his handsome face. A knock sounded at the door, causing them both to jump and turn simultaneously towards the sound.

When it opened, Jag stood on the other side, a frown marring his face. He said nothing, simply motioning them out of the room. They traded a quick glance and Karissa handed him his saber as she walked towards her father. Voices carried from the living room and curious, her feet carried her in that direction.

She could feel Jarik's surprise from behind her as she stopped at the end of the hall. Her father walked past her and Jarik and went over to stand behind the chair Jaina was sitting in. A little push from behind her persuaded her to walk further into the room, but not too far. All three families were present, except for the younger kids, and Luke rounded out the crowd.

Karissa suddenly realized this was not good. Jarik's hand hadn't left her back and she unconsciously leaned into it, bringing her into contact with his chest. She felt him take a deep breath and tried to relax.

Luke glanced at Kyp quickly, then cleared his throat.

"I just found something out that all of you need to know. This is not common knowledge yet, but it will be rather soon. I thought it best to have all of you prepared." He paused, taking a deep breath. "There was another murder this morning and the body was found on the temple steps. They believe it was the work of the serial killer."

"Who was it?" Jaina asked before anyone else could.

"Mya Cortz." He said in his typical quiet calm. It seemed that everyone started talking and asking questions at once. Karissa remained mute, her stomach filling with dread. Sure, she hadn't liked Mya very much. Sith, she hadn't liked the girl at all, but she never wished something like this on her.

"You ok?" Jarik whispered in her ear, pulling her to his side when she shook her head no. Her arms wrapped around his waist and he squeezed her slightly, his head coming up to meet Micah's gaze. They both shared a puzzled look before the conversation drew their attention away.

The adults lost themselves in questions and theories so the three of them decided to retreat to the privacy of Karissa's room.

She and Micah sat at the end of her bed, while Jarik started pacing in front of them. They sat silent for a few minutes, digesting what Luke had just told everyone.

"I can't believe she's dead." Karissa whispered, shifting slightly when Micah reached over to grab her hand.

"Why did he deviate from his usual victim?" Jarik said, his friends' gazes coming up to watch him pace.

"Something else had to have set him off. He apparently has control issues." Micah commented.

"But why totally change his victim profile? It doesn't make sense." Jarik mumbled, finally coming to rest in the chair Karissa has occupied earlier.

"Maybe he hasn't changed his MO." Both boys looked up to pin Karissa with a confused look. "Well, it would stand to reason that he's attacking women who fit the profile of one woman who wronged him somehow. Maybe this is his way of sending someone a message. Only now, he's got two messages. One for the brunette and now one for the blonde."

"That's actually a pretty good theory Kissa." Micah said, his surprise evident on his face.

"Don't look so surprised nerfherder. I can use my brain." She retorted, smacking him hard on the arm. Jarik laughed when his friend covered the spot and winced.

"Damn Kissa. You freaking hit hard." Micah whined. Karissa just gave him a sly grin.

"Maybe Sari will kiss it and make it better." She said.

"No clue what you're talking about." He responded quickly. Kissa and Jarik shared a glance, but let the subject drop.

"What could be so bad he would feel the need to strike out at total strangers?" Jarik asked, bringing them back to the main topic.

"He's crazy. Logic doesn't exactly apply to him."

"Not everyone is as noble as you, Jarik." Micah said, smiling when his friend glared at him.

"I'm not noble."

Karissa rolled her eyes and fought to keep the smile off her face.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night dude." Responded Micah as he stood to walk over to the window.

"I guess we'll find out more when the holonews gets wind of it." Karissa said quietly, not getting an answer from either boy.

She could feel Micah's impatience and was about to ask him what was wrong, when he suddenly started towards the door.

"I'm going to check on Sari." He mumbled, not seeing the smiles that followed him.

"Wonder when he's going to admit his feelings." Jarik mused aloud, then snorted when he realized he could ask himself the same thing.

"He will eventually. Just give him time." She told him as he came over and sat down next to her.

"Three days." Jarik told her, almost kicking himself when her mood darkened slightly.

"Don't remind me."

"Kissa, you'll do fine. You know you can survive on your own for a few days."

She sighed and leaned over, resting her elbows on her knees. "I know. I'm just not looking forward to it."

!!

Sari was working on her essay that Master Skywalker had assigned her when her door chime went off. Her roommate was out tonight, so she was by herself. She sighed and put the data pad down, reaching out to see who was at the door. Feeling Micah's familiar presence, she walked a little faster to answer.

The smile he gave her instantly improved her mood and she stood back from the door to let him in.

"How did you get past the warden?" She asked as she watched him walk across the room towards her bunk. He had a satisfied smirk on his face when he sat down and looked her way.

"I have my ways."

"You're gonna get me in trouble." She told him, walking over to sit next to him.

"Probably." The bed shifted as she plopped down next to him and he had to remember to not reach out and steady her.

"What's up?" She asked. "Not that I mind you visiting, but it's kinda late."

Micah's smile disappeared and she suddenly got worried. "What is it?"

"Is your roomie gonna be home anytime soon?"

"No. She's spending the night with her parents. They got on planet today. Now tell me what happened."

"They found a body on the steps of the temple this morning. I don't know all the specifics, but apparently they think it was another victim of the serial killer." Micah looked up at her sharp intake of breath and frowned at the panic he saw in her eyes. Sari tended to be a little bit of a drama queen but this was different. He could almost feel her fear. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, as long as you stay in the temple unless someone is with you." He rushed to reassure her, taking her hand in his without thought.

"They're sure it was him?" She asked when she had regained some of her wits and the ability to speak.

"Yeah, unless there's a copycat loose. I don't even want to entertain that thought." Micah said, feeling a slight tremble from her. "They've identified the person too." He told her softly. She met his gaze, but found it difficult to ask the question.

"It was Mya." He whispered, startled when she shot up from his side and pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Sari?"

Her hand had flown to her mouth at his revelation and he hoped she wasn't going to get sick. Standing slowly, he walked over to her and turned her around to face him. Tears streamed down her face and he reached out to wipe them away.

"Hey. Nothing is gonna happen to you." He told her quietly, closing his eyes when she wrapped her arms around him. They stood that way for a few minutes, until he felt her stop trembling. Pulling back, he tilted her head up and searched her lavender gaze. His eyes moved to her mouth of their own accord and before he realized it, he was kissing her. Sari's hands fisted his shirt as if she would collapse at any minute. He tightened his hold, one hand still cupping her cheek.

Breaking the kiss gently he fought to control his breathing and couldn't help but smile at the confusion in her eyes.

"Do I need to apologize before you force slap me?" He asked, his smile growing when she laughed.

"No. You need to do that again." She whispered and he was more than happy to comply.

!!

All hell would break loose soon and he couldn't help but smile. The old man didn't know what he had done yet, but he was sure to be pissed when he found out. It deviated from their shared goal, but would still serve to achieve said goal. She wasn't dumb enough to miss the message, but he would give her a few days to let it soak in before he contacted her. He almost hoped she would still be defiant. It would at least give him an excuse to kill again. Not that he needed it.

!!

The phrase on Jarik's saber is by non other than Han Solo himself. Mr. Harrison Ford is credited with coining it, which I found strangely appropriate.


	16. Chapter 16

-1!!

Chapter 16

_Three days later… _

Jaina looked over the list Luke had given her of the different students and what planets they were going to. They had picked three planets this year. Dagobah, which was the old standby and the one that no one wanted. Kodasta, which was a core world in the Darpa sector and was hotter than all the Corellian Hells put together. Azameen, which was also a core world located in the Zug system. Of course, everyone wanted Azameen, even though the students knew nothing about it.

"Um…uncle Luke?"

Luke looked up from his desk and gave her a questioning look.

"You do realize that you have Jarik and Karissa on the same planet." She said, hearing him chuckle at her comment.

"Yes, Jaina. I'm aware of that."

She remained silent for a few moments, and Luke counted off in his head. _One, Two, Three…_

"Why?" She asked, thoroughly confused.

"I was going to put Jarik on Dagobah, but it didn't feel right. He fit on that list." He answered, dipping his head towards the list she held.

"You do realize they're going to find each other on that planet? Right?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

She raised an eyebrow at her uncle, then shook her head slightly as she went back to the list. Jarik was a great kid, and she knew he would be one of the foremost masters of his generation at some point. Her only reservation was that she wanted Karissa to do this on her own. She knew her oldest daughter was nervous about this test, but she also knew she could pass it with flying colors. Sighing, she set the list down.

"She'll be fine Jaina."

"I know." She responded. "I just worry."

"Really, I hadn't noticed." Luke retorted, ducking when something from his desk flew his direction.

!!

She sighed as they all stood in the small group, waiting to get their assigned shuttle numbers. There were three shuttles, like always. Three destinations; one of which would decide if you were ready to be knighted.

Karissa knew she could do this, that wasn't the problem. Actually, she wasn't sure what the exact problem was, she just felt weird. She was Fel, Antilles, Solo and Skywalker mixed together, so this should be a walk in the park. Why then did she feel apprehensive about it then? Jarik reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it and giving her a smile without turning to look at her.

Maybe it unnerved her so much because this was a very important test. All the Jedi in her family were important people in the galaxy, whether they were dead or alive. That was a lot to live up to for anyone. Top that with the pilots in her family and the pressure was tremendous sometimes. She knew that she shouldn't let it get to her, but it did. Her dad had told her how it had affected her mother's childhood, making things so much more difficult for her. He had also told Karissa that she didn't have to let it be that way. She was her own person, regardless of her bloodline.

Being a Jedi for her was so different than being a pilot. How her mother had done it, she didn't know. It was so easy for her to be flying. When it came to the force, she had to try a little harder and she hated that.  
She knew that most people viewed her as a spoiled little girl, who got everything she wanted. And she would be the first to admit she was spoiled, but not like people thought she was. If she was spoiled from anything, it was from having two parents and an extended family that made sure she had everything she needed to succeed. Her parents weren't rich, but they were comfortable enough that they didn't need for anything.

Master Horn cleared his throat and broke her out of her thoughts.

"Ok everyone. Listen closely please and when I call your name, I need you to go to your assigned shuttle. Ok?" The group nodded and he began to call off the names for the first shuttle. She passively listened knowing that Jarik would let her know if her name was called out. Corran made it to the second shuttle and still hadn't called either hers or Jarik's names. She knew better than to think they would be on the same team and she thought maybe that's what was bothering her. They'd been together their whole lives and she had always had Jarik to lean on to help her with things. This time, she wouldn't have that luxury.

She felt Jarik jerk next to her and brought her head up.

_What?_ She sent to him.

_We're on the same shuttle. _

"What?!"

Jarik snickered and Corran looked over. "Everything alright Fel?"

Karissa nodded, and turned her head slightly to glance at Jarik. He was smiling and she wondered if he had talked Uncle Luke into changing it. She immediately dismissed the thought. This was Jarik and he didn't work like that. Luke wouldn't have put them on the same shuttle without good reason, so she would just have to trust his judgment.

!!

The other three students on their shuttle were talking animatedly at the other end of the room. Karissa smiled at them and closed her eyes to meditate for a little while. Jarik sat next to her, calm and serene as always, but she knew better. He had been so jumpy lately and she assumed it was because of the serial killer. After Mya had been murdered, he had gotten quieter and that had been worrying her. He was already too quiet.

It didn't take them long to get to their destination and Karissa was itching to get out of the shuttle when they finally landed. She bounded off before anyone else and stood a few meters away taking in the land around them. A few minutes later, Corran had corralled them all near the shuttle and gave them their final instructions.

"Now, from here on out you guys are on your own. We can't help you, but we will be in the area if you need help. You all have flares in case you run into trouble. Remember, this is to test your limits and resourcefulness. If I don't bring all of you back Luke will have my ass, so please don't get yourselves killed or maimed." The five students smiled at Corran and he returned the gesture, then started to back away from them. "Have at it." He said, then turned and walked back towards the shuttle with the two knights that had accompanied him.

Jarik and Karissa stood there for a minute and watched their classmates pick their paths. When they had gotten out of eyesight, Jarik turned around to survey their surroundings. Azameen was a lush planet, very similar to Kasshykk but on a smaller scale. It had dense forest over most of the planet and bordered on humid 90 of the time. There were some small settlements of humanoids scattered over the planet, but Corran had told them that none were close. Wildlife was abundant, but there were very few predators that would attack the students should they come across one. Most of them were of the smaller variety and shouldn't be an issue.

The wind swooshed through the field they had landed in and Karissa closed her eyes to breath in the fresh air. She could feel the force humming in the fauna and flora around her and it was revitalizing. Jarik was enjoying it as much as she was, but she knew they needed to get moving. The quicker they got to the meeting area the quicker they could go home. She was anxious to find a stone for her saber.

"Ready?" She asked, as she watched him open himself up to the force. He was silent for a minute, then opened his eyes and smiled.

"Yep. Which way are you going?" Jarik questioned, adjusting the pack on his shoulders. Each of them had a small survival kit they had put together themselves. It included a flare, a blaster, water purifying tablets, ration bars, a small first aid kit, glowrods and a small vibroblade just in case. Everyone could add a few other things as long as it didn't include weapons or anything that would give them an advantage. The two of them had decided to add some dry socks, after Jag had suggested it. He had said there was nothing worse than walking around in wet feet. She had assumed he knew what he was talking about after being stranded for two years on Tenupe.

"I'm going that way." She said, pointing to her left. Jarik nodded and watched her as she walked away.

"Hey." He called, smiling when she turned around. "Be careful."

"You too."

!!

The rest of the first day and that night were uneventful for both Jarik and Karissa. The second day, was a whole other story.

He had been walking for about four hours the second day when he got the first inkling of trouble. Scanning the area around him, he didn't see anything but knew better than to trust just his eyes. Jarik stood there for a minute to see if the feeling intensified and when it didn't, he continued. His feet had traveled a few more meters when he felt it again.

"Damn it." He swore, trying to calculate how far Karissa would have traveled from him. They were running parallel to each other…sort of. He hadn't done that on purpose, it had just felt right to go this way. Now he was wondering if his subconscious had picked this direction or if the force had chosen it.  
Closing his eyes, he reached out to his surroundings and smiled at the life around him. It wasn't anything like Coruscant. There, the sheer number of beings dwarfed any kind of peacefulness one would hope to grasp. Here, it was all around him. He almost wished he had time to simply sit here and explore the abundant, fascinating life for a while, but he didn't.

His bond with Karissa flared as he opened himself up to it. A sharp pain exploded in his right foot and he bit his lip to keep from howling. Fine-tuning their connection, he pinpointed where she was and brushed her lightly. Then he started to run.

!!

She had come across a few animals during her journey, but nothing that she had to worry about. Most of them were small and furry and could fit in the palm of her hand. They were most likely more scared of her than she was of them. An hour ago she had stopped to take her jacket off and drink some water before continuing, as the sun had sunk lower in the sky. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She thought.

A gasp escaped her lips when she went to step down with her right foot and the ground disappeared. Had she been paying attention she would have either missed the burrow or would have been able to stop her momentum. But the Solo knack for finding trouble had overruled the one for luck. She felt a sharp pain, then a grinding in her ankle before her knee buckled and threw her down to the ground.

"Shavit!" She cursed, trying to slip her backpack off. When she had fallen, it had gone up over her head, then twisted when gravity had finally recovered. It took her a minute to finally untangled herself, but she eventually did. Huffing in frustration, she moved to pull her foot out of the hole when pain shot up her leg. Probing with the force, she discovered she hadn't broken it but it certainly wasn't just a strain.

"Great." She said, disgusted with herself. A presence brushed her lightly and it took her a minute to realize it was Jarik. Of course he would be close. She couldn't do anything lately without him being nearby. It irked her to a certain degree, but she also enjoyed it. Karissa had always found it extremely easy to lean on Jarik and she figured it was probably because they'd been together for a long time. Any other possibilities as to why she dared not think about right now. She sensed his presence coming her way and sighed ruefully. He wouldn't be here for a while, so she might as well get comfortable.

!!

"Hey Grace." He said as he walked into the small clearing she was in.

"Bite me." Came her retort and he grimaced at her tone. If he had to guess, he would say the pain was starting to get to her.

"Maybe later." He threw out, feeling her smile more than seeing it. Jarik kneeled down next to her, taking his pack off as he did.

"I didn't break it, but it really hurts." She said, trying to keep the whine out of her voice.

Jarik smiled and investigated the hole she had stepped into. If she hadn't hurt herself, she could have pulled her foot out already. But he would guess that bending it is what caused the pain and that made it impossible for her to free herself. Twisting his mouth in thought, he reached over into his bag and pulled out a small shovel.

"You brought a shovel?" She asked.

"You can thank me later." He said, as he started to gently pierce the ground around her foot. Karissa rested her head on her knee while he worked. Jarik was going slow to make sure he didn't accidentally hit her foot and cause her more injury, but she wished he would hurry up. The bugs were starting to come out in the evening light and she was tired and thirsty. The sooner he got her out, the sooner she could keep going.

He almost had her free when the first rain drops hit her head. Groaning, she looked up as he got the last bit of dirt out of the way and gently went to lift her foot out. Wincing from the movement, she leaned back to help him as he set her foot down on the ground next to the hole. The rain stayed light for a few minutes, allowing Jarik to inspect her ankle a little longer.

"No, you didn't break it but you sprained it pretty good Kissa. You think you can walk a little ways with my help?" He looked up to see her nod and then the heavens opened up.

Jarik stood, picking up her pack in his right hand and holding his left out to her. Pushing on her left foot, she managed to stand and get a death grip on Jarik's tunic. She was trying not to use the force to help, her stubborn pride getting in the way. Looking around while she got her bearing he found a small cluster of thick leafed trees that should provide them some shelter for a while.

"Ready?" He asked. Karissa nodded without looking at him and they hobbled over to the spot he had picked out. It took them longer than he thought, but thankfully when they got there, it was well protected by the layers of leaves above it. Almost none of the rain was getting through. They weren't drenched with rain since Jarik had used the force to keep most of the water off of them when it had started pouring.

Jarik helped her sit down at the base of one of the bigger trees and tried not to wince when she gasped at a quick sliver of pain. He waited until she got comfortable, then handed her some water and a ration bar. Karissa thanked him quietly and ripped into the food. He sat down next to her, helping himself to the same refreshment and they watched the storm for a while. Lightning zipped rapidly towards the soil, illuminating the fat drops of rain just outside their shelter. If she hadn't been in so much pain, it would have been relaxing.

"We still have a long way to go, Kissa. Do you think you can make it if we rest here tonight?" Came his question, causing her head to shoot up.

"You go on. You're not going to fail this test because of me." She told him forcefully and glared when the corner of his mouth twitched. If she felt better she would force slap him, but she didn't want to bad enough right now.

"How about this," Jarik started. "It's gonna be dark soon and neither one of us needs to be roaming around then. We're both tired, so let's just rest here tonight, get some food in us and some sleep. I'll help you go into a healing trance and if you feel better in the morning we can start out again."

"Jarik, you need to go…"

"Look." He said, holding a hand up to stop her. "There was a reason we were put in the same group. I have no idea what it is, but it's there. I'm not leaving you here and I think you'll be fine after we rest. End of discussion." Karissa's eyes widened at Jarik's tone, but she slowly nodded her head.

She finished her ration bar and put the wrapper and her water back in her pack. When she turned back around Jarik had a thermal blanket and was shaking it out.

"You brought a blanket?" She asked, upset she hadn't thought of it.

"Yes. And I brought two, so stop kicking yourself." Jarik retorted as he laid the first one out on the ground and reached into his pack to get the other one. He set it on the top of his pack, then walked over towards her. Without speaking, he put his arms under her knees and around her back and picked her up.

"Jarik!"

"Damn, Kissa. That was my ear!!" He said quietly as he set her down on the blanket.

"I could have just levitated myself."

"Yes, but that is what I believe your uncle calls 'misuse of the force'." He snarked, then winked at her. "Plus, I just wanted to feel macho for a minute."

Karissa laughed and he sighed as he looked at her foot.

"What?" She asked, worried.

"I think we should leave your boot that's on the injured foot where it is. If it doesn't get better tonight, I don't think we'll be able to put it back on in the morning."

She nodded quietly and he moved her pack so it was behind her. He could see how tired she was by the way her shoulders hung. Turning to dig back into his pack, he pulled out his first aid kit and handed her two pain killers.

"Take these. It will take the edge off, until we can get you in a healing trance." As Jarik went to work trying to make things comfortable and handy, he didn't realize that she had fallen asleep until he turned back around and started to say something to her.

He reached over to push some wayward strands of hair out of her face and couldn't help but lightly caress her face. When she sighed in her sleep, he smiled and sat back on his heels. Jarik wasn't a healer by any means, but he had to at least try and see if he could help her ankle. Getting comfortable next to her, he reached down and lightly touched his fingertips to her leg.

Reaching deeply into the force, he harnessed as much of the life around him that he could and used it to repair the damage to her muscles and tendons. It wasn't bad and he just needed to fix it enough so she could walk in the morning. Jarik started to feel drained and decided it might be a good idea to stop. He'd need his energy in the morning too.

Rolling his neck and stretching the kinks out of his back, he finally laid down next to her on his side and faced her. After a few minutes of watching her sleep, he found his eyelids getting heavy and joined her in oblivion.

!!


	17. Chapter 17

-1!!

Chapter 17

_The weeds towered over her head, slapping her in the face as she tried to put distance between herself and the man following her. She didn't register the stinging anymore, her fear fueling her grueling pace. He wasn't trying to hide his presence from her, plodding carefully through the brush behind her like a sand panther. No, he wanted her to know he was coming. Wanted her to fear him._

She shot a look back over her shoulder, but the darkness enveloped him, wrapping him in its inky blanket and hiding him from her eyes. Her foot caught on a root and she stumbled down to the ground, bumping her chin on the cold earth. She tasted blood, inhaling dirt before she managed to find her footing again. Her fingers clawed through the dirt, trying to find purchase, but she stumbled to her knees. A frustrated sound escaped her lips, like a wounded animal evading the hunter.

He was almost on her. Bile rose in her throat and she knew this must have been what Mya felt at the end. Flipping onto her backside, she scooted away from him as the shadows teased her with brief glimpses of his form. She tried to call out, but the lump in her throat made her mute, her heart beating a wild staccato in her chest.

His figure finally emerged from the weeds, the darkness pulling away from him to give her a glimpse of her executioner. Blood dripped from his lips, spoils from his other victims and his smile make her want to retch.

"Karissa." He whispered, her name sounded like a hiss on the wind and she felt a shiver run down her back. She felt something solid behind her and swore her heart stopped. He had her trapped. His smile deepened, his hands rising slightly in front of him as he reached for her neck. Fingers touched her throat in a cruel caress and she whimpered, knowing she would not escape him this time. He would have her blood and his revenge would be complete. 

"NO!" She screamed, her arms flinging out to push him away. A oomph reached her ears and she scrambled away on her hands and knees, trying to put distance between them.

"Karissa!" A voice called after her and she stopped as if a puppet on strings. Her heart beat violently and the sound of it filled her ears, blocking out all other sounds. Except his voice.

Jarik approached her slowly, reaching out through their bond. Something had freaked her out, and the last thing he wanted to do was rush up to her. He saw the rapid rise and fall of her chest and felt her fear rush over him, causing him to catch his breath.

"It's me, Kissa. Jarik." He told her quietly as he inched towards her. A few more deep breaths passed her lips before he heard a mewling sound. Dropping to his knees next to her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she sobbed. Tears slipped past his own closed eyes as she cried heart wrenchingly. After about 10 minutes, her sobs had subsided, only to be replaced by hiccups. Still, he didn't move or speak leaving the first move up to her.

"He came back." She whispered hoarsely into his chest.

"Who?"

"He came back to finish the job." She answered, a shuddering breath wracking her petite frame. Jarik buried his face in her hair and fought down his anger. She didn't need that right now. Karissa needed him to be strong.

"I won't let him hurt you, Kissa. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise." He vowed, hugging her tighter. They sat that way for a while, both content with the silence. Eventually, Karissa fell asleep, along with his legs. Jarik lifted her into his arms gently and with the help of the force, managed to stand and walk the short distance back to their camp area. He laid her down on the thermal blanket and fought his anger down again. She had obviously had a dream about her attack. Though he hated to, he would ask her about it in the morning, just to make sure it wasn't a vision.

She trembled slightly, prompting him to grab the other blanket and cover her with it. After making sure she was settled, he laid down next to her, wrapping her in his embrace and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Eventually, he fell back asleep.

!!

Karissa woke with a start, though definitely not as bad as she had the night before. Her foggy mind took forever trying to recognize where she was. The sun was just coming up and it was a little chilly, but not too bad. Funny though, her back felt warm. Closing her eyes again, she snuggled into the warmth and suddenly realized what it was. Or at least hoped it was. Her eyes traveled down to her waist and she smiled when she saw Jarik's arm wrapped around it.

_Well now. This would be a nice way to wake up every morning._ She thought to herself. Laying her hand over his she listened to the sounds of the forest around them and Jarik's breathing tickling the back of her neck. This wasn't exactly what she would call romantic, but she was definitely enjoying it. Karissa felt him on the edge of her consciousness as he started to wake up and slowly moved out of his arms.

She had stood before she realized that her ankle didn't hurt anymore. At least not like it had. It was still sore, but she could definitely walk on it. She stretched and when she looked back down Jarik was smiling at her.

"Morning." She said, walking a couple of steps to test herself.

"Morning yourself." He croaked back, sitting up with a grunt and rubbing his eyes. "I take it your ankle feels better."

"Yep. Not sure how far I can walk on it, but I guess we'll see."

"Good." He said, taking a deep breath and standing slowly. "How do you feel, other than that?"

"I feel good."

Jarik raised an eyebrow at her comment and she broke eye contact with him.

"We need to talk about last night Kissa." He told her softly, not moving towards her.

"It was just a bad dream, Jarik. I'm sorry I freaked out on you."

He walked over to her and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"It was more than a dream. You were petrified Karissa." He said, his voice thick with emotion. "You scared me half to death."

Karissa didn't answer him, choosing instead to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face in his chest. He returned her embrace, letting out a slow breath.

"That wasn't your first dream about the attack, was it?" His voice startled her, coming right by her ear. She tried to concentrate on his breath brushing over the sensitive spot instead of the nightmare she had experienced last night. Not trusting her voice, she shook her head slightly and felt his frustration in their bond. Not frustration at her. Never at her. The frustration was because he hadn't been able to protect her. Hadn't been there to keep her safe.

Knowing they needed to get moving, he made a decision to continue this conversation later. Quietly, they took their time putting everything away and eating something before they started out again. There was really no hurry. They were allowed up to four days to complete the test. Jarik hoped they didn't need all four days though. Their pace was slow, giving Karissa time to make sure her ankle was going to make it.

Surprisingly, they had walked a few hours before she finally told him she had to stop. They sat down near some rocks in the shade to rest. It wasn't even midmorning yet and it was steaming already. Karissa had removed her jacket again and so had Jarik. Thankfully there was no shortage of beautiful scenery around them, enabling him to keep his eyes off of her. Her black tank was drenched with sweat and her hair, though pulled back into a ponytail still stuck out in disarray. She was the farthest thing from acceptable beauty right now and he loved it. Pulling his wits back to him, he suggested they stop for lunch and she agreed, holding her stomach when it grumbled.

Thirty minutes later, deciding they had rested long enough, Jarik helped Karissa up and started to move away from her when she stopped him.

"Do you hear that?" She asked, her hand resting on his forearm.

"Hear what?" He countered, wondering if the heat had gotten to her. Then, he knew what she was talking about. They turned to look at each other and smiled.

"Water!"

Not bothering to put their packs back on, they both walked a few meters and pushed some tree limbs out of the way to find a breathtaking scene. A small pool of water rested in a circle of trees and rocks and a small waterfall completed the serene picture. The water was crystal clear, so much so he could see the bottom. A soft breeze rattled the trees and he thought perhaps they might have found a little bit of paradise on this planet.

Karissa threw her pack down and started to take off her boots when she heard Jarik chuckle.

"I'm hot." She threw at him as she got her shoes off, then went for her pants.

"Whoa!" Jarik said, turning quickly before she disrobed completely. "Kissa, can you give me a little warning next time." He choked out, everything in him screaming to turn around. He heard her slip into the water and hoped it was safe. When he finally turned back around she was halfway across the pool, giggling like a little girl.

With a little more control, Jarik divested himself of his boots and pants and waded in slowly. It gradually sloped down until the bottom, falling out from under him and forcing him to kick to stay afloat. The water wasn't cold but pleasantly warm and he could easily imagine them staying here the rest of the day.

Suddenly, a splash of water smacked him in the face and he turned to see Karissa getting ready to force push another wave of water his way.

"Oh, it is on, Kissa." He said, reaching out to pull a ball of water out of the pond and suspend it above her head. She looked up and shrieked when she saw it, turning to swim back to the other side and never making it. The pair played that way for about an hour and when they were done Jarik was surprised there was any water left in the pond. The ground surrounding the area they had been by was soaked, along with their clothes. Chuckling, he turned back around to find Karissa. The pool was shallow over by the water fall and she had found a flat rock to sit on that was partly in the sun. Thankfully she had kept her tank top on, because he surely would have drowned if she hadn't. Taking his time, he slowly swam over and watched her. Karissa was leaning back on her elbows, basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun and he was finding it hard not to react.

"I thought you were hot." He threw at her, an idea suddenly coming to him.

"I am. But the sun feels good now." Karissa responded, not opening her eyes when she answered. If she had, she would have seen the look on his face and known he was up to no good. Stealthily, he waded over towards her and put his hands on either side of her legs on the rock. Launching himself upwards, he bent over her and shook his head, his shoulder-length hair sending droplets of water in every direction and pelting her.

She squealed and put her hands up as if to keep herself dry. Jarik grinned and Karissa playfully tried to push him back in the water, but couldn't budge him. Smacking his shoulder she looked into his eyes and froze. Now there was a look he'd never directed at her. His green eyes had darkened, and a very un-brotherly like aura now hung over him. Karissa's breath caught in her throat and she felt her temperature go up exponentially. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, before he finally leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. It was a small kiss, a brush really, but it stole her breath from her.

Jarik raised one knee up to the rock and gently pushed her down without breaking the kiss. She reveled in the soft feel of his lips as he brushed them repeatedly over hers. It wasn't an invasive kiss, which was probably a good thing. She might have passed out if it had been. Slowly, Jarik pulled his lips from hers and searched her face. His heart was thumping erratically in his chest knowing that she might reject him at this point. He could live with that, but he wouldn't like it very much.

"Jarik." She murmured, her eyes still closed, their faces only centimeters apart. Opening her eyes slightly, she reached up to run her fingers across his cheek.

"Yeah." He managed to respond, afraid of moving and breaking the moment.

"Kiss me again."

"Hell." He said right before he fastened his lips to hers again. Jarik knew that this wasn't her first kiss and she had had plenty of boyfriends over the years. However, he had no idea kissing her would be like this. His body felt alive and in the places they touched it burned. Jarik might have kissed a lot of girls in his short dating life but he'd never felt like this with one before.

He deepened the kiss this time, not wanting to scare her but at the same time wanting more. She met him move for move and he trembled slightly when her hands ran up his sides and around to his back. Even though they had dialed up the intensity, they both took their time. Jarik ran his tongue over her lips and caught her gasp when she opened up to him and he explored the warm cavern of her mouth.

Karissa's hands settled on his waist and he lowered himself, resting his weight on his forearms. His lips left her mouth and traveled down towards her neck as one of her hands came up to tangle in his hair. A breeze came through their haven and though he felt it's caress it did nothing to cool the heat they were generating. Her small, breathy moan brought him out of his haze and he knew they needed to stop before they couldn't.

"As much as I want to finish this, and believe me I do..."

"Really, I hadn't noticed." Karissa said with a sly grin.

"We really should stop." Jarik said, an answering smile gracing his own face. He felt her start to ask him why, so he leaned down to kiss her lightly, effectively stopping her tirade.

"Because, " he whispered. "The second we step off that shuttle everyone will know that things have changed."

"They're going to know whether we…"

"I know. But I think they'll be able to handle us _not_ going there better than they will if we do." He added, rolling onto his side and pulling her to him. "And I think you've got your hands full with your dad right now anyway."

"Dad's not going to let me go to the ball." She whispered, as he tucked her under his chin and wrapped his arms around her. Her euphoria faded slightly, making her laugh to herself. She had actually been looking forward to going.

"I figured that. No biggie. I just won't go."

"I thought you had to go."

"When I was younger it was expected, but mom told me a couple of years ago I didn't have to go anymore. I just went because it was what others expected of me. Plus, I don't think it's going to be a very festive atmosphere this year, with what happened to Mya. Mom said she'll be surprised if they don't cancel it."

"I'll be surprised if Mya's father doesn't use it to lash out at the authorities about the murderer." Kissa snarked, then felt guilty. She couldn't imagine how the senator felt, losing his only daughter. Jarik kissed her forehead, letting her know that he understood. She had a habit of talking before she thought about what she was saying. At least she came by it honestly.

They laid there a little longer, talking about stupid things. Neither was in a hurry to rush back, even though they knew they should. A short while later, Jarik hoisted his pack onto his shoulders and turned to ask Karissa if she was ready. Her pack still rested on the ground next to her feet, one strap held in her hand and she gazed wistfully towards the water. A sad smile on his face, he walked over and grabbed her free hand in one of his and heard her sigh.

"We can always come back." He whispered, searching her eyes when she turned her head toward him. She nodded and he leaned down to capture her lips in a soft kiss. Breaking the kiss, a brilliant smile lit up her face and she picked her bag up ready to go.

!!

"Things are going to change when we get home aren't they?" She whispered when they had stopped a few hours later. A few more meters and they would be at the end. The end of the test and maybe the end of the dream.

"No." He said simply, turning his head to face hers. "It doesn't have to. Not unless that's what you want." His voice was quiet, but she could feel his tender feelings loud and clear through their bond.

"I don't want to lose your friendship Jarik. If this doesn't work out…"

Dropping his pack beside him, he reached over and pulled her into his arms.

"You're not going to lose me, Kissa. No matter what happens between us, I'm always going to be your best friend." He whispered, taking a deep breath and filling his head with her scent.

"Promise?" She asked, timidly.

Jarik kissed the top of her head. "Promise."

They stood there for a few more minutes, enjoying the world around them and each other, when Jarik finally pulled back.

"We should probably go and check in." He whispered, a hand caressing Karissa's cheek. She nodded and he could feel she was just as reluctant to leave as he was. But they couldn't stay here forever, no matter how tempting. Real life awaited them a few meters away. Plus, Jag would hunt Jarik down and kill him if he didn't bring his daughter back. Though he might kill him for kissing her too...


	18. Chapter 18

-1!!

**Chapter 18 **

Corran was leaning against the shuttle scanning the area around him when he felt them. A smile split his face and he snorted. He didn't move as the two students got closer; he simply stood there and smiled. They were wading through some waist deep weeds when his brow crinkled.

_They're holding hands!_ He suddenly realized. _Interesting. _He knew they were close friends, but maybe they were closer than everyone thought. Not that he had an issue with it. They were both good kids and well grounded. And they were adults, or at least close enough. He didn't envy Jarik though. Having to go through Jag was not going to be fun.

Their hands dropped back down to their sides as they exited the weeds and they smiled when they saw him.

"Why am I not surprised you two are here first and are together?" He told them when they got close enough.

"Just lucky I suppose." Jarik responded, glancing over at Karissa.

"Well hop in and I'll run you two up to the Falcon."

"Grandpa's here?" Karissa said excitedly, her previous .

"Yep." Corran told her, laughing at her enthusiasm. "He was in the neighborhood and Luke asked him to stop by and see if anyone needed picking up." He and Jarik both watched as she ran towards the other side of the shuttle before he had even finished speaking. The older man turned back to the other and raised an eyebrow.

"Everything went ok?" He asked, trying not to laugh when Jarik sighed.

"Yeah. She had a little accident, but everything is fine." He replied, wondering if Corran was fishing for something.

"She's Jaina's daughter. There'll always be trouble running into her. Best get used to it son." He said, clapping Jarik on the back and starting his own trek towards the ramp.

!!

The airlock closed with a hiss and Han barely had time to brace himself before his granddaughter launched herself at him. Laughing as they fell into a wall behind him, he squeezed her tight and placed a kiss on her head.

"Hey squirt." He told her, then looked up to nod at Jarik. Jarik returned the gesture, then moved past the pair to stow their bags further back in the ship. The distinct sound of Corran's shuttle separating came to them as they started their walk down to the cockpit.

"Were you really just in the neighborhood, or did Uncle Luke send you after us?" Karissa asked as they entered one of her favorite places in the universe. She sat down opposite Han as he retracted the short bridge they had used to get on the ship.

"Yes and yes." He replied, shooting her a Solo grin. "I'm on my way to Coruscant to pick some things up and he asked me to swing by. I'm willing to bet he had a feeling you two were done already."

"Are you going to stay for a while?" She asked. Han and Leia didn't get to Coruscant near as much as they wanted, but no one could blame them. They had made their home on Ossus with Luke and were content to let the world go by without them.

"I'm staying for a couple days. Have to get some stuff back to Luke."

Jarik came in and occupied the seat behind Han, not saying a word. The aging Corellian flipped a few switches and they were headed back home.

"So," Han started, turning his chair around once they had entered hyperspace to look at both of them. "Should I assume you two both kicked butt?"

Karissa laughed and nodded. "I think we'll get a passing grade." She responded, glancing at Jarik and winking. The only reason she would get a passing grade was because of Jarik. If he hadn't found her, she probably would have had to quit. She fell into comfortable banter with her grandfather and in no time they were back on Coruscant.

Jarik had remained silent, except for a few answers to simple questions from Han. As they touched down in the private Jedi hangar, she reached out through their bond and felt his reassuring touch. A smile formed on her face as he stood up to walk back and get their bags, not realizing Han had noticed. He filed the information away for later and they both walked through, shutting the Falcon down.

!!

Luke took his time getting to the hangar. He knew that the Fel's and Durron's were both probably already there and it would take the better part of half an hour for them to welcome their children back. Chuckling to himself, he turned a corner and saw Ben walking towards him. So engrossed in his thoughts, Ben almost passed by his father without saying anything. Luke stopped and turned to watch his son walk a few steps past him then stop.

He turned around and gave Luke an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, dad."

"What's occupying your mind so fully?" The older Skywalker asked as his son backtracked to join him in his journey to the hangar.

"Just thinking about the tapes we turned over to Intelligence."

"Ok. What about them?"

Ben sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. Something feels weird about the whole thing. Like there's something we're missing." He said, frustration seeping from his force presence.

"Myri was quite clear in their theory."

"Yeah, they suspect one of us. But no one walks around in a cape anymore. Kyp used to, but that was so long ago I don't even remember it. I just remember Uncle Han saying it when he was trying to embarrass him."

"We just need to keep our eyes and ears open. It might not be a Jedi."

"I know. _Constant vigilance_." Ben joked, as they reached the hangar finally.

As he had predicted both families were there to welcome their children back. Even the Obath's were there and he couldn't say that surprised him. Jared had become a good friend to the Fels over the years as well as the Durron's. Sari would have been there, but she was currently serving detention for her own deception that happened the night Karissa was attacked. He hated her missing out on this, but knew he had to be tough due to the seriousness of the situation.

Karissa and Jarik looked none the worse for wear and though slightly tired, seemed to be in good spirits. He walked over to the edge of the crowd and waited his turn to talk to the youngsters. After a few minutes, Jaina realized he was there and gifted him with a huge grin.

Told you. He mouthed to her and was rewarded with a not-so-nice face from his niece. The two future Knights finally faced him and he couldn't help but feel very proud of both of them. It made his urge to put them on the same shuttle settle that much more with him. The noise of the group died down and Luke waited until he had their attention before he spoke.

"I take it you two had no problems." Luke said, a grin plastered on his face.

They glanced at each other and smiled.

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Karissa told him, matching his grin.

"I'd say this calls for a celebration." Han announced. "Dinner at the very least." Everyone concurred and the small group started towards the entrance.

Micah fell into step beside Jarik and the two young men fell back to the rear of the group with no opposition.

"What happened?" Micah asked, not wanting to waste time with small talk.

"With what?"

"Don't give me that. You two are different."

Jarik laughed, momentarily garnering the attention of everyone. He waited until they were distracted again and smiled at his friend.

"Let's just say that things have changed." Jarik offered as they crossed the street.

"In a good way, I assume."

"Oh yeah. It's definitely way past good."

!!

A few hours later, Jarik was definitely not a happy man. He felt a migraine threatening and he wanted nothing more than to go home and fall into bed. Well, actually that wasn't true. He'd rather just be somewhere with Karissa…alone preferably. Fatigue was starting to catch up with him. Force knew sleeping on the ground didn't do wonders for anyone. Couple that with the fact he was trying to not look at Karissa and he was waiting for his head to explode... Jag had thrown him more than one glance since they had arrived at the restaurant, making him uneasy. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples when suddenly he felt a hand rub his back. Smiling, he took a deep breath, then leaned over to put his head on his mom's shoulder. Of course she knew something was wrong, she always did.

"You ok?" She asked, still rubbing his back.

"Yeah. Just tired." He responded, feeling Karissa brush him through the force lightly. Sighing, he reached back and let her know he was fine.

!!

_Two Hours Later… _

Karissa fell face down on her bed, the air from her lungs leaving with a loud swoosh. She was bone tired and could fall asleep now, but apparently someone else had other ideas. Her comm twittered annoyingly, tempting her to throw it against the wall. Instead she answered it.

"So, how did it go?" Her friend's voice came over the line. Karissa chuckled.

"Hi Sari. It went good." She mumbled, her head moved to the side so she could actually be heard.

"Just good? I'm assuming you passed since you're back already."

"Yep. Thanks to Jarik."

"Uh oh. What happened?"

Karissa launched into the story, telling Sari everything. By the end the younger girl had a wistful smile on her face and Karissa couldn't help but laugh.

"That's so astral Kissa! I'm so happy for you guys."

"Yeah, well don't say anything."

"What?" Sari said, disbelievingly.

"Don't say anything to anybody. I'm not ready to tell my parents yet."

"Oh. Ok. When are you going to tell them?"

"Never if I have a choice." Karissa snarked.

"Come on, your dad won't be that bad." This garnered a snort from Karissa.

"Yeah right. You do remember who my father is, don't you? Jagged Fel. Mr. Badass himself."

Sari giggled and Karissa felt a smile come to her face.

"I don't wanna talk about that right now. Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"Maybe…" Sari responded, trailing off with a grin on her face. This got her attention. Karissa sat up, her former exhaustion fading.

"Tell me."

"Micah and I just might be dating now."

"Bout freaking time." Karissa told her friend. "I was starting to think you two were never going to get together."

"Yeah, me too. But he asked me the day you guys left."

"And of course you said yes."

"Of course." Sari said, then turned her head when a voice caught her attention. "Sorry Kissa. I have to go. Detention calls."

"Have fun." Karissa told her sympathetically.

"Something like that." Sari said, then cut the connection. Her head fell back to the bed, then a knock sounded on her door. Groaning, she umbled some curses under her breath that her father would be ashamed to hear come out of her mouth and got up to answer the offending person.

When the door slid open, Jarik and Micah both stood there solemn looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her senses sharpening. Jarik gave her a weak smile as he and Micah walked into the room. "Since when did my room become the meeting place?" She joked as the boys made themselves comfortable on her bed.

"There was an attack while we were gone." Jarik told her quietly, pursing his lips when her shock hit him. "It was around the same time as your dream."

Karissa felt her breath catch and her knees weaken a little. Both boys stood up to grab her just in case. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to block the images from assaulting her. It had been so real, so frightening. Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and waved them off. Her feet started a trek across her room, adopting Jarik's habit of pacing suddenly.

"What happened?" She asked after a few minutes. She was sufficiently calm to hear the story now.

"Well, he went back to his original gig. It was a petite brunette again, with only one difference. She's not dead."

Her head shot up, her eyes as wide as the fabled Deathstar her grandparents had destroyed long ago. "Alive?" She asked shakily.

"Yeah. They think that he was interrupted for some reason and never got a chance to decapitate her. He choked her and she passed out, but he left her there. Someone found her a few hours later, still passed out and horribly beaten, but alive."

She felt a hand on her back, halting her swirling thoughts. When she looked up Jarik was standing next to her, a worried expression on his face.

"So my dream wasn't just a dream." She whispered.

"It's possible it was a little of both." Jarik told her. "You could have been feeling his 'urges' at that time and just transferred them to your current surroundings."

"Maybe. But why would I pick up on his feelings all of a sudden? That didn't happen with any of the other attacks."

Jarik looked over at Micah, which caused her eyes to dart back and forth between the two.

"What?" She asked, feeling their hesitation.

"Micah has a theory." Jarik offered, moving away from her to look out the window.

The younger boy cleared his throat and ran his palms down his thighs. She wasn't used to seeing Micah nervous and it didn't sit well with her.

"I think he might be obsessed with you. It's just a theory and I don't think he started out like that. I just think it's evolved into an obsession with you. You fit his profile, but you were the only one he didn't kill, until the last victim. You haven't felt anyone fixating on you lately, have you?" He asked, hoping against hope she said no.

"At dinner tonight. I felt like someone was watching me. I've felt it a few other times, though not as intense. I just dismissed it as the normal 'oh my gosh, there's Fel's daughter' type of thing." She glanced over to Jarik as she finished talking and saw his back stiffen.

"It's probably a good idea that you don't go anywhere alone Kissa." Micah told her, wincing when her head snapped around and she glared at him. "Look, I know you hate that but the alternative is not something I want to think about. I'd rather you be mad at us than dead." He paused and smiled slyly. "Plus, I would think you won't complain too much considering recent developments."

Her eyebrow rose at his jest and she grinned mischievously herself.

"I could say the same to you." She snarked, laughing when a slight blush broke out on his cheeks. It wasn't often she got to rattle Micah and she loved it. Her smile faded slightly and she sighed, sitting down on her bed. "Has she said anything?"

"No. She's unconscious. They're not sure if she's going to wake up or not. Luke sent over a couple of healers to see if maybe they could help. There was some head trauma, but again they won't know how bad the damage is unless she wakes up."

"Apparently, aunt Myri is hoping she'll be able to give a description if she does." Jarik interceded, not turning around.

"That would help." Karissa said, thoughts starting to swirl in her head again.

"Well, it's late. I'm gonna go and let you get some rest." Micah told her, coming over to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Make sure you get some sleep." He joked, jumping back when her hand reached out to smack him. Micah winked at her, cast a glance at Jarik, then left.

She sat there for a moment, thinking, then stood and walked over to Jarik. His walls were shored up when she reached out to him, confirming that he was extremely worried as she had guessed. Her arms wrapped around his waist and she rested her head on his back, feeling him relax slightly. Jarik laid his hands over her forearms and sighed deeply.

"Stop worrying." She told him, sending a slight burst of annoyance through their bond. He chuckled and she smiled as the sound echoed through his chest.

"I can't. I'm a Durron."

"Well try."

Jarik turned, forcing her to loosen her hold on him and reached up to trail his fingers down her cheek. She turned her face into his touch and wondered how she had lived without this before now. It had been less than a day since they had admitted their feelings and she didn't think she had ever felt more content. His breath whispered across her cheek and when she turned to face him he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. The urge to deepen the kiss and ask for more from her was strong, but he tampered it down as he remembered where they were. And who was in the next room.

When he pulled back, her face was still turned up and there was a blissful look on her face. His anxiety eased just a little more at the sight.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that." She whispered, her eyes opening and the smile on her face deepening. Jarik laughed and kiss the tip of her nose.

"I'm gonna remind you of those uttered words the next time you get mad at me." He told her, pulling her close again.

!!

He had seen the looks that Durron brat had been stealing of her all night. Anger coursed through his veins and he bit his lip to keep from voicing his frustration. The coppery taste of blood permeated his mouth and he groaned as the comforting tang settled in. The old man had not been happy at his screw up, but he wasn't worried. Everything was going according to plan, it was just going to happen sooner than the slime bucket had wanted.

His eyes flicked to the holos that littered one side of the wall. He felt his body tighten and a rush of pleasure shoot through his system. Nothing like a change of plans to keep him on his toes. He would still possess her, but it would be different than his original plan. Cutter wanted more than her soul now. He wanted everything.

!!


	19. Chapter 19

-1!!

Chapter 19

_Two days later... _

Karissa had slept fitfully last night. She didn't have the disturbing images she had experienced since coming home, but an uncomfortable disquiet filled her and kept her from getting any quality sleep. A few times, she had felt Jarik's touch as he had helped push her back into slumber. He was probably the only reason she'd gotten any sleep at all.

Sighing deeply, she finally decided to get up and take a shower. An hour later, she found herself sighing as she stared at the pile of stones lying on her bed. When she had taken her saber to show Uncle Luke yesterday, he had asked if she had found a stone yet. She had been so excited to finish the blasted thing, she hadn't given any thought to that aspect of her saber. He had only smiled at her answer and walked over to his desk and sat down. Perplexed, Karissa had watched as he opened a drawer and pulled out a small leather bag. Smiling, he had handed it to her and her curiosity had forced her to open it then.

_A virtual rainbow of color stared up at her from the pouch and Luke just laughed at her expression._

"Mara always kept a collection of them. She said you never knew when you would need one. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you looked through them to see if one speaks to you." He told her softly.

"But doesn't Ben want these? They should go to him before…" Luke stopped her before she could continue.

"Ben went through them and chose his stone years ago. He gave it back to me knowing that it would come in handy for someone else someday. Seems he was right. You might not even find what you're looking for Kissa, but it couldn't hurt to look." He told her quietly. 

Karissa had thanked him profusely, promising to take good care of them before she had left. Now she just had to choose one of the blasted things. None of them really stood out though. Disappointed, she started to gather them up to put them away, when she felt a lump in the bag. Her fingers dove into the small pouch and encountered a crystal that hadn't fallen out originally.

She nearly gasped when it tumbled into her palm. The stunning green gem was nearly flawless and so clear you could see through it. In fact, she couldn't find a single crack anywhere in the gem. Squeezing it in her hand, she closed her eyes and reached out, stunned to find it shining brightly in the force. How had she missed the gem before? Karissa's eyes opened and she saw her hand shaking slightly as she reached over to grab her saber. Untwisting the pommel, she picked the stone up and floated it down into the tube. Envisioning the setup, it only took her one try to slip it into place and she instantly felt it resonate through her. A grin came to her face and she silently thanked her Aunt Mara for hoarding the beautiful gift.

Sensing someone watching her, she looked up to see Jarik standing in her doorway, a matching smile on his face.

"Light her up." He told her softly, his own excitement mixing with hers. Jarik walked into the room, letting the door shut behind him and reached over to turn the lights off. The familiar snap hiss filled their ears, then the comforting hum of the weapon sounded and Jarik knew he would never tire of that sound.

"It's striking, Kissa." His voice said, from right beside her. She turned to smile at him and was pleasantly surprised to find his mouth on hers before she could say anything. Releasing the ignition switch, she set the saber down on the bed and brought her hand up to touch his face, losing herself in the moment. The kiss was gentle, but she felt everything he poured into it and felt a little overwhelmed. She and Jarik had always loved each other, but it had been more of a brother/sister love. This emotion was a whole new thing. But she could definitely get used to it, she thought as he broke the kiss and fell back on the bed.

"You know, I don't remember being this giddy with my first girlfriend." He said quietly, a giggle escaping from her at his words.

"So I make you giddy?" She teased as she fell back and scooted closer to him.

"Among other things." He answered, turning to his side and nuzzling her ear with his nose.

"You do remember who's in the other room."

"Killjoy." Karissa giggled again and turned to her side to put her head to his chest. She heard the reassuring sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear and sighed.

"I'm just selfish. I don't want dad to have to kill you too soon."

"I'm flattered…I think."

They lapsed into silence, just enjoying what they knew would be one of the few times they would get together in the near future. Jarik had almost fallen asleep when Karissa spoke.

"You found yours too, didn't you?" She whispered, her eyes still closed and her hand settling on his chest.

"Of course." He joked as he kissed her forehead. "I couldn't let you show me up."

Karissa slapped his chest lightly and felt his chuckle through her hand. As much as she didn't want to move right now, she wanted to see his completed saber too. He whined when she sat up and she rolled her eyes and smacked him on the thigh lightly.

"Come on. Show me."

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours?" He said mischievously, sitting up and placing a kiss on her neck.

"Jarik!"

"All right. Damn, you're just killing the mood today honey." He said, then realized what he had said.

"You better get that out of your system now." Karissa told him and he decided to ignore the comment and thumbed on his saber. A beautiful cerulean color leapt to fill the room and her eyes widened.

"Reminds me of uncle Luke's eyes." She whispered, then gasped when the sound of the saber changed to a lower tone and the color moved to a deep purple, the blade elongating.

"You have two?"

"Four actually. Two blue, one purple and one white. Found the blues on Azameen and dad had the purple and white ones. Couldn't decide so I changed it to a dual phase saber. It actually wasn't that hard to do and I think I like it better."

Karissa turned to face him and frowned. "You were up all night changing it, weren't you." He nodded and her frown deepened. "That's why you kept pushing me back to sleep."

"I was up, figured I might as well do something constructive. Do you remember what the colors mean?" He asked quietly, extinguishing his blade and standing to turn the lights back on. Actually, she knew what he was doing. Changing the subject.

She touched her chin with her fingertip and pretended to think hard about his question.

"Blue was used for Jedi Guardians. Green for Jedi Consulars. And if I remember correctly from your dad's class, nearly every Jedi who has wielded a purple blade has been a powerful Jedi, and a catalyst for change. I believe those were uncle Luke's words, not his."

"Very good. You actually do pay attention in class." He joked, leaning against the doorframe and smirking at her.

"Bite me." She said, then rolled her eyes when his grin widened. "Seems to me our colors are mixed up." She added, ignoring his insinuation.

"Maybe."

"The force must have a sense of humor then." Karissa said as she picked up the bag of stones and pulled the drawstring tight, placing it on her desk. "Because I'm not exactly consular material."

"Not true. You are Leia's grandchild. You have to have some of your grandmother's and great grandmother's abilities in you."

Karissa laughed. "Must have skipped mom then."

"What skipped me?" Jaina asked, a deceptively sweet smile on her face. She barely kept from laughing as the two youngsters jumped at her presence.

"The family's tact gene."

"Ah. Yes, that skipped me entirely. That's why I have your father." She joked, holding out her hand to Karissa.

"I'm going to have a permanent grin etched onto my face by the end of the day." She said, handing the saber to her mom. Jaina said nothing and thumbed it on. She swung it a few times then smiled.

"Not bad sweetie. You did a good job." She said, hugging her daughter.

"Thanks, but Jarik's is cooler."

"Really?" Jaina said, turning to give him a raised eyebrow. Karissa giggled when he blushed slightly and Jaina held out her hand again.

"It's heavy." She remarked when he set it into her outstretched palm. Jarik shrugged and couldn't hide his grin when she turned it on.

"Wow." Jaina said, her eyes widening as she took in the saber. Her thumb hit the second switch and the purple blade slid out. She waved it as she had Karissa's and then turned it off.

"Excellent job, Mr. Durron."

"Thanks." He responded, giving her a mock bow.

Her arm still around her daughter's shoulder, she turned back to the young woman and smiled.

"Your dad needs to talk to you."

!!

Jag was sitting in the kitchen waiting for her when she finally got up the nerve to leave her room. In reality it had only been a few minutes, but it felt like longer. Of course, the kiss Jarik had given her before she had left helped tremendously. Her mom had left her room rather quickly, leaving Jarik alone while she was going to see the only man who intimidated her.

He chuckled when she poked her head around the corner and shook his head.

"Sit." He told her calmly, crossing his arms in front of him and putting his feet up on one of the chairs.

"Stop looking like I'm going to kill you Karissa."

"Ok." She said, her hands in her lap and her head bowed.

"Honey, you're not in trouble. I promise."

"I'm not?" She asked cautiously.

"No. You'll probably be happy with what I have to say." Karissa didn't say anything, just simply stared at her father. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable.

"Your mother and I have been talking and we've decided that you can go to the ball."

Jag was surprised when his chair didn't land on the floor with him in it. She threw herself at him, squealing in joy before he had even finished his sentence. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head.

"Thank you, daddy." She whispered and he felt tears through the shoulder of his shirt causing his own eyes to tear up slightly.

"Don't thank me, your mother was the one who talked me into it." Jag told her quietly. When he looked up Jarik was standing next to Jaina in the doorway to the kitchen and they both had smiles on their faces. Sensing her mother was there, she let go out Jag and ran to Jaina. Jarik chuckled as the two women left the room and walked down the hall chatting continuously.

"Thank you uncle Jag." Jarik said, as Jag got out of his seat. He saw a pained look come to the young man's face. "I should probably stop calling you that."

Jag's scarred brow rose. "So that's how it is." He stated, not really asking a question, just confirming his suspicions.

"Yes sir."

"Don't start that crap, Jarik." Jag said, rolling his eyes at the young man. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Now I sound like Han." He mumbled to himself as Jarik tried to keep the smile off his face.

"I'm gonna have to go through him too, aren't I?" Jarik answered suddenly, watching as their expressions switched around, causing him to groan inwardly. "It's bad enough I have to go through one."

Jag slapped him on the back and smiled. "Don't worry. When you have a daughter, her boyfriend will have to do the same thing with me."

"That's only slightly comforting." Jarik told him relief filling him that he was still breathing…for the moment.

"I'll go with you if you want. Run interference." Jag offered.

"You mean you'll take the holo to show everyone later."

Jag waved his hand in the air. "Whatever works."

!!

_The next day… _

Cutter watched as the two of them walked up the steps to the temple. Something had changed between them and he didn't like it. The Durron brat touched her far too often for his liking. Well, that would have to change. He needed that damn woman to wake up in order to finish the rest.

"I believe a trip to the med center is in order right now." He mumbled to himself as he watched her form disappear into the building before he turned to walk away.

!!

Jarik leaned against the wall outside the Garden of Peace, nodding and smiling to his friends that passed. He looked up to see her coming his way and he smiled. Damn he was pathetic…but he wasn't about to complain. Karissa looked up and saw him there, giving a quick goodbye to the girl she was walking with. Standing on her tiptoes when she stopped next to him, kissed his cheek and smiled brightly.

"Hey." She said, wrapping her hand around his arm.

"Hey yourself."

They started walking and Karissa remained quiet.

"You ok?" He asked as they left the garden and started down a hallway.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She said absently, but Jarik was unconvinced.

"You excited about tomorrow?"

"What's tomorrow?" She said, giving him an feigned innocent look.

"Oh, so you don't want to go, then." Jarik said casually, like it didn't matter one way or another.

"Too late, Durron. You already asked me and my dad said I could go. You back out now and he just might hurt you."

"You're kidding, right? He's probably still going to. I keep waiting for him to pop around a corner with his Charik pointed at me."

Karissa looked up and snickered. He looked over to see why and stopped in his tracks. Jag looked up and gave him a strange look.

"What? Did you do something I need to know about?" The former Chiss commander asked.

"No. I just…"

"Daddy. Stop."

"Why? I'm having fun."

"Glad someone is." Jarik mumbled.

"By the way, you're at our house for dinner tonight." Jag's finger pointed at him as he said the words.

"Why?"

"For force sake, your parents are coming too."

"Oh." Jarik responded, not sure if that was good or not.

"Um, dad. We haven't told them yet."

Jag looked up and gave her a small glare.

"Yeah. I realized that earlier."

"You didn't…"

"Give me some credit, Jarik." Jag scoffed. "I might be old, but I can still think on my feet. Though I think your mom knows something."

Jarik snorted. "There's a big surprise." Jag nodded his agreement and started to walk past them.

"I trust you're going to take her straight home." He called out as he passed.

"Yes sir."

Jag stopped and turned, one brow raised in question. "Don't make me change my mind." Jarik smiled as he winked at them and left the two youngsters to walk in peace.

!!


	20. Chapter 20

-1!!

**Chapter 20 **

_Two hours later… _

Their younger siblings were down the hall at the Obath's place, so they were actually getting the experience of an adult dinner for once. Jarik looked up and smirked as he felt Karissa's foot rub his shin.

_Don't do that. Your dad is gonna figure out what you're doing._ He told her, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

_Oh you like it and you know it._

_I never said I didn't, but I would like to live to see my children someday_.

Karissa giggled out loud and he looked down at his plate to hide his own smile.

"Something you two need to tell us?" Kyp asked, not missing Jag suddenly shifting in his seat and Jaina smiling.

"Um, actually there is Uncle Kyp." Karissa said sweetly as she laid down her fork and wiped her mouth off. Prodding Jarik with a look, she smiled.

"Uh, Karissa and I are dating dad." Jarik said, not expecting the surprise on his dad's face.

Kyp radiated shock in the force and Jaina had to swallow her laugh. He was so freaking oblivious sometimes. Suddenly he smiled and wagged his finger at  
his son.

"Cute Jarik. It's not Fool's Day. You should have saved that one."

Jade rolled her eyes and she and Jaina shared a look.

"You have a problem with my daughter dating your son Durron?" Jag asked as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

Closing her eyes, Karissa dropped her head into her hand and groaned. Her father was so bad sometimes. .

"No, I have a problem with my son's humor."

"I'm not joking dad. We really are dating." Jarik told him, starting to get miffed at his father.

Kyp raised an eyebrow and then looked at his wife. She gave him that look she always gave him when she thought he was being obtuse.

"He's serious, isn't he?" He asked her. Jade smiled and nodded. Kyp cleared his throat and turned back around, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry." He added, taking a drink of his water.

"You're ok with it?" Karissa asked, biting her lip.

"Is there any particular reason I shouldn't be?" Kyp asked back.

"No."

"Then yes, I'm fine with it." He told her, giving her a wink. Jade elbowed him and he glared at her. "What? I've already made a fool of myself. What do you want me to say? Congratulations! You're the 9,374th couple to walk through the doors this year. Here's a cooker!"

"It's ok dad." Jarik told him as everyone laughed. He met Karissa's eyes and they both smiled. Only one more obstacle to go.

!!

_Next morning… _

"Grandpa?" Karissa called out as the trio walked up the ramp of the Falcon. Han poked his head out of the cockpit and smiled when he saw her.

"Hey sweetheart. Come to see me off?"

"Yep." She answered, hugging him tightly. "Guess I can't convince you to stay." She asked hope in her voice.

"Tempting, but no. Your grandma was expecting me yesterday. It's not wise to keep her waiting." He joked, tweaking her nose. Han looked up and saw Jarik and Jag standing there and he smiled. "How sweet of you Jag , a going away party?"

Jag frowned slightly. "Not quite."

"What?" Han said, his previous jovial manner gone. In its place stood the hardened smuggler façade he had perfected years ago.

"I believe Jarik needs to talk to you." Jag offered, glancing at his daughter and motioning her back over to his side. Jarik waited until they had left the ship before he turned back to Han. The old smuggler had always been a part of his life, a father figure to his dad and practically a grandpa to him. He really wasn't looking forward to this, but maybe he'd get lucky and Han wouldn't be so bad. Might as well get it over with.

"Karissa and I are dating, sir."

!!

"WHAT?!" Han exploded, causing Jag to wince. Karissa had been fidgeting beside him, now she moved to go back up the ramp but Jag stopped her.

"Dad…"

"He has to do this honey."

"But grandpa…"

"Didn't kill me and he won't kill Jarik. I promise."

Karissa bit her lip and Jag had to hide his smile. Apparently he didn't hide it well enough. His oldest child's eyes narrowed at him.

"You guys are setting him up!" She hissed, her horror increasing when her father finally let loose his smile. "Daddy! How could you?"

"Father's prerogative Kissa. Jarik will understand when he has a daughter of his own."

"But we're just dating!" She yelled, her hands fisted at her sides. "It's not like he's asking to marry me." Jag smiled inwardly. _Oh yeah, she's channeling Jaina right now_, he thought to himself.

!!

Jarik sighed, closing his eyes to calm himself. This was not going well.

"And what else are you two doing?" Han asked, advancing a few steps on him.

"What? Nothing! I wouldn't do that to Karissa."

"Oh, so she's not good enough?"

Jarik frowned at the older man, wondering if he'd stepped into a wormhole when he had walked up the ramp earlier.

"Han…"

"What happened to the sir? First Karissa's not good enough for you to sleep with and now you're not calling me sir?!"

He had no answer. Shock had taken hold of him and he was sure his lungs weren't working anymore, his head feeling entirely too light for his body. Then it hit him. Jag and Han were screwing with him. That was the only explanation. Well, two could play at this game. He was, after all, a Durron.

"Well sir. We didn't want to say anything, but since the Ewok's out of the bag…Karissa is pregnant."

"WHAT?!" Han and Jag both screeched as Jag ran back up the ramp to make sure his hearing was working.

"You did not just say what I think you said." Jag seethed as he walked closer to Jarik.

Jarik gulped visibly and his gaze ran back and forth between the two men. He glanced quickly behind the men to see Karissa slowly slipping their blasters out of the holsters. Which almost caused him to laugh and give himself away because the next movement from them was to reach for said weapons. Both men slapped their thighs and looked down confused when the object they were looking for wasn't there. They turned, almost as one, and looked at Karissa. She  
dangled them on her index fingers and shot them a look.

"You are not going to shoot the father of my baby." She said, anger lacing her voice.

"Oh we don't need blasters to do that sweetheart. I'll kill him with my bare hands!" Han roared and turned back around to find Jarik nearly doubled over in silent laughter. His granddaughter's laughter sounded behind him and he paused.

"Oh Force. You should have seen your faces." Karissa managed to eke out as she leaned against the bulkhead and held her stomach as if in pain. Jarik was still chuckling as he slipped out from behind the two men to go over and stand beside her. He turned around and the grin on his face was huge.

"You were lying." Jag deadpanned, still looking like he was in shock.

"Duh." Karissa told him, a new bout of giggles erupting from her.

"That wasn't very nice Karissa." Han told her as he waggled a finger in her direction.

She straightened up and the smile disappeared from her face.

"And tricking Jarik was?!" She threw back causing Jarik to snort as two of the most fearless men he knew shrank slightly. "How could you do that to him? He didn't have to tell you anything, but he did. And this is how you repay him? I'd say you got what you deserved." She said, crossing her arms and cocking a hip.

Jarik made sure he enjoyed the moment, because he knew he would never have this opportunity again. Ever. He almost wished Jag had brought a holorecorder.

"Now, be good boys and tell him you're sorry."

Han and Jag traded a look and they both sighed. "Sorry.' They mumbled.

"Good. Now I won't tell mom or grandma about this, but I'm not going to forget either. Just remember that." She held out their blasters and they took them, their enthusiasm conspicuously absent.

"How did you know?" Han asked Jarik as he reholstered his weapon.

"I guessed. Kissa is the one that came up with the idea when she found out." Jarik responded as Karissa wrapped an arm around his waist and smiled.

"You know, Jedi thing." She said, pointing to her head and smirking at the two men.

"Kriffing Jedi." Han mumbled, then looked at Jarik. "Welcome to the family."

"We're just dating Han."

The older man snorted. "Yeah, that's how he and Jaina started out." He threw back, pointing at his son-in-law. "And no matter how hard they both tried to screw it up or fight it they ended up together. Trust me kid, you're in it for the long haul. You just got lucky and found a Solo that decided to go for it instead of denying it."

"You do remember her last name is Fel." Jag reminded him.

"Yeah, but she's her mother all over again Jag. Which is kinda funny now that I think about it." He said, slapping Jag on the back.

"Gee thanks."

!!

_Later that evening… _

Jaina knocked on the door, patiently waiting for her daughter to answer it. It slid open and she tried to dial down the intensity of her smile. Karissa was nervous and Jaina didn't think she would appreciate her smiling at the subject. Frowning, the girl moved back towards the fresher, her mother following in her wake.

"You need help?" Jaina asked, knowing that she didn't.

"No, I'm good."

"Have you tried using some calming techniques?"

"Yes and they don't work." Her daughter pouted, causing her to laugh. "Mom…"

"I'm sorry honey, but you'll understand someday."

"Force, I wish you guys would quit saying that." She mumbled, picking up the curling rod to finish her hair. Jaina leaned against the door and watched as Karissa effectively tuned her out. Her fuzzy robe, which was covered in X-wings, was in complete contrast to the material that stuck out the bottom of it. The picture was so much her daughter and herself that she choked up for a moment.

"You're not gonna cry are you? Because if you start then I'm going to and I just finished my makeup." Karissa told her quietly, looking at her in the reflection of the mirror.

"No, I'll wait until you leave." She promised, the two of them sharing a smile.

A few minutes later, Karissa had finished her hair and huffed loudly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"You're leaving your hair down?" Jaina asked and received a nod for her answer.

"Jarik likes it down. It's easier too." She turned and a worried look crossed her face. "Do you think I should put it up?"

Jaina stepped forward and hugged her lightly.

"I think you should wear it however you want. Jarik would love it if you shaved your head."

"Um…no. That won't be happening." She responded as she walked past Jaina and out into her bedroom. Slipping her robe off, she laid it over the back of her desk chair and turned around. Jaina had to bite her lip to keep the tears at bay. The dress had looked beautiful on her when they had picked it out, but it looked stunning now.

"Mom?" Jaina swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled, her eyes glassy with tears. "You ok?" Karissa asked, a frown marring her pretty face.

"I'm fine. You look beautiful." She whispered, receiving a smile from her daughter. The empire waist bodice was not too childish and not too adult for Karissa's petite form. A straight skirt fell to the floor, fluffed up by a filler underneath to give it fullness. Purple shimmersilk made up the dress, with a sheer outer layer that was a few shades darker giving just the right amount of contrast. Purple gems dotted the skirt giving it a small bit of sparkle when she moved. They had gotten a wrap to go with it, simply because she knew Jag would have a fit with the sparseness of the top of the dress. The thin straps and color of the dress worked well against her tanned skin, but he would just see skin and not be happy.

"Mom?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking how beautiful you look Karissa."

"Thanks." She said, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"What time is Jarik going to be here?" She asked, walking over to the bed and picking up the wrap and her shoes. Karissa looked over at the clock and swore.

"Ten minutes."

"Well, you're ready. Go show your father and that should take up about ¾ of the time."

!!

Jag was nervous. Hell, he didn't even have to go to the stupid event and he felt like he was. His right leg bounced slightly as he checked the chrono and waited for the girls to come out of the room. He was used to Karissa just throwing on her robes and being ready. Jessa was his girly girl, not Kissa. The urge to get up and pace ran through him and he was about to do just that when the door opened.

He was jolted back about 30 years to another time and place. Jaina and that damned red dress. She looked exactly like her mother and he felt his heart twitch slightly. His little girl was all grown up now. When the sith had that happened? Standing on shaky legs he stood by the couch as she walked towards him. Her shift slipped off a shoulder slightly and his warning bells went off.

"Dad. Don't." She warned, causing a muscle in his cheek to twitch. It wasn't hard to force the smile to his face again though.

"You look dazzling baby." He managed to say, his smile deepening at her slight blush. "Good thing you and Jarik are going out. He's gonna have to beat the boys off of you." He joked…then his brow went up. "I might have to beat him off of you."

"Dad, you know he won't do that."

"I know." He said softly, leaning to place a kiss on her forehead. "I love you ." He whispered, tears coming to his eyes as she hugged him tightly.

"I love you too daddy. Thank you again for letting me go." Jag didn't answer, just nodded against her head and she felt the emotions roiling off of him. She squeezed him again when the door chimed. He pulled back and smiled.

"I think that boy is here." He said playfully, earning an eye roll from his daughter.

Jaina answered the door and Jag almost laughed at the look on the poor boy's face. He wondered if he had looked like that when he'd first laid eyes on Jaina. He glanced over and she nodded at him, answering his question.

Jaina pulled Jarik into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He stood, almost as if frozen, as his date walked over.

"Wow." He said, dumbfounded. The last time he had seen her this dressed up was when they were six years old and he hadn't thought of her like a girl. She'd just been his friend then. Now…"Wow." He said again. "I'm sorry, my higher brain function seems to have ceased." He said, smiling when she laughed. Jarik looked over at Jag. "Would you like to kill me now or later?" He joked, knowing that Jag was probably going to figure out what was going through his head at the moment.

"Later's fine. After the dance."

"Good. Works for me." He said, his attention back on his date.

"Are you going to be able to drive?" Karissa goaded him as she took his hand and pulled him towards the door.

"Yeah, as long as you're in the trunk."

"Not funny."

"I thought it was." They heard him respond as the door shut behind them.

Jaina turned to Jag and smacked his shoulder.

"What?"

"You were sorta behaved." She teased him.

"I didn't kill the boy, did I?" He said, pulling her closer.

"No. You didn't." Jaina responded, a finger coming up to run down the side of his face. "You know, they won't be back for about four hours."

"Um…what about the twins and Jessa?"

"Seena loves our kids. They're staying over tonight."

"Are they now?" He said pleased, right before he kissed her.

!!

Jarik handed the valet his keys and walked around to the other side of the speeder, offering Karissa his arm. She had left the shift in the speeder and he was having to force himself to not look down her dress. Not an easy task since he was so much taller than she was and he'd never really seen her cleavage. At least not like this…all pushed up and…stuff. Tonight was going to be hell on his libido.

They made it to the top of the steps and when she tried to keep walking he stopped her. Throwing him a confused look, she went willingly when he pulled her hand towards him and walked backwards over into the shadows of the left rotunda. Glancing behind her to make sure they hadn't been seen, he tugged her into and alcove and wove his arms around her. Karissa returned his gesture, sighing in contentment as she pressed closer to him.

While she was enjoying his company immensely, she felt the apprehension in him and her curiosity got the better of her, as always.

"Jarik?" She asked, lifting her head off his chest to search his face in the dim light.

"I didn't want to give you your birthday gift with witnesses."

She cocked an eyebrow at him and he chuckled.

"Perv." He chastised, releasing her and reaching into his pocket for something. He glanced down at her and smiled. "No, it's not a ring."

"I don't think they're ready for that." She joked.

"No." He agreed shortly, as he pulled his hand out and presented her with a white velvet box, about 5 centimeters big. She looked at him in question and he nodded towards the box. Hesitantly, she took it from him, shivering when their fingers grazed. He said nothing as she used both hands to flip the hinged lid up and she swore she felt his presence waiver in the force when she gasped.

Resting on the blue shimmersilk inside was a silver pendant. Her fingers trembled as she touched the rectangular piece of metal and he read the words to her.

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul." He tenderly recited to her, his presence still weak in the force. He was hiding himself from her, afraid she was going to reject his gift. Willing the tears back, she looked up at him and hit him in the arm.

"That was not the reaction I was expecting." He mumbled as he rubbed his arm.

"I'm gonna kill you for making me cry." She said, her voice heavy with emotion. "Do you know how long I worked on my makeup? If it runs…"

His lips silenced her as he pulled her close and trapped her hands between them. She managed to free a hand and wrapped it around his waist, gripping the back of his shirt to keep herself from falling as his kiss swept her away. It was like this every time their lips touched. He gave her everything he had and she drank it in like she was dying of thirst. She felt herself trying to get closer to him and hoped he had the strength to stop soon. She was sure that she didn't.

Jarik broke the kiss slowly, but didn't move away from her. He ran a thumb across her cheek and smiled.

"Happy Birthday." He choked out, and she noted with satisfaction that his eyes were glassy with tears. It was nice to know she affected him as much as he did her. She smiled and broke his gaze, sniffing quietly and opening the box back up. When he had crushed her to him it had closed between them. Carefully, she pulled the necklace out of the box and handed it to him. Turning to give him her back, she pulled her hair to one side and looked at him over her shoulder.

"Put it on me?" She asked, accompanying her question with another sniff. His face lit up and she could count on one hand the number of times he had shone in the force so brightly. With fumbling fingers, he settled the chain around her neck and somehow managed to close the clasp. When she turned back around, she moved it so that it sat perfectly centered above the edge of her dress.

"As if I didn't have enough problems trying to keep my eyes off that particular part of your outfit." He joked, receiving a smile from her. She went on her toes to kiss him.

"Thank you." She said against his lips, giving him another quick kiss before she settled back down on the ground. "Is my lipstick messed up?" Jarik laughed and ran a thumb across her bottom lip.

"Now it's not." He smirked, tempted to mess it up again. Karissa reached up and ran her thumb over his lips, pulling it back to show him the color smeared across it.

"Not really your color handsome."

!!

They were standing by one of the tall windows when they felt Jarik dim in the force. Turning to look at each other, Kyp raised an eyebrow at his wife's grin.

"What are you up to?" He asked, not sure he was going to like the answer.

"I'm," she started, pointing at herself, "not doing anything. Your son, on the other hand, is just following tradition." He frowned for a moment then his eyes widened. His fingers came up to absently rub at the medallion he wore around his neck. Jade smiled and he turned back to look at the party.

"I so don't wanna be here." He mumbled, taking a sip of his drink.

"I know, but it will be worth it to see the two of them dressed up." She reminded him and he nodded absently. Jarik flared in the force and he chuckled.

"Apparently it went well." He commented, Jade laughing out loud at his remark. A frown marred his face as a thought came to him. "He didn't give her a ring, did he?"

"No dear. They're not ready for that…yet."

"Neither am I." He responded, downing the rest of his wine and setting the glass on the tray of a passing waiter. His gaze just happened to wander over towards the entrance when the couple in question stepped through the doorway. If he hadn't known any better he would have sworn it was Jaina walking into the room. "Wow." He said.

"Jaina wasn't lying. She looks beautiful." Came his wife's voice and he silently agreed. Jarik looked over and found them, whispering something in Karissa's ear. She looked over too, nodding to Jarik and the two of them made their way over.

He felt a tide of emotion from Jade and squeezed her hand reassuringly, smiling when she squeezed back.

"Oh honey, you look beautiful." Jade said, giving the young woman a hug. "Happy birthday by the way."

"Thank you and thank you." Karissa replied, her grin deepening.

"Happy birthday squirt." Kyp told her, hugging her as well.

"Uncle Kyp, you can't call me that anymore. I'm 18 now."

"Ok. As soon as Han stops calling people kid, I'll stop calling you squirt." He told her, laughing when she rolled her eyes at him. Kyp winked at her and took Jade's glass from her hand, setting it down on the windowsill.

"Would you do me the honor of a dance, Mrs. Durron?" He asked, bowing to her. It was her turn to roll her eyes and she chuckled.

"I don't know. My husband doesn't like me to dance with other men." She told him, batting her eyes.

"Then we won't tell him." Kyp said as he stood up to pull her on the floor. "Behave children." He called out to the couple as they left.

"Your parents scare me sometimes." Karissa said, laughter in her voice.

"Yeah. Try living with them." He responded, then smiled. "Shared evasive maneuvers?" He asked.

"I'd love to." She said, tucking her hand into his elbow and letting him lead her out onto the floor. It wasn't too crowded, but enough that they had some anonymity while dancing. Jarik pulled her close and she buried her face into his neck.

_I think of you  
Every moment that I go through  
Thoughts of you  
I dream of you  
All I have are so many dreams of you  
Won't you please come true _

Karissa smiled as she listened to the lyrics of the song. She had never realized how much she thought of Jarik before now, but he did take up an inordinate amount of her thoughts. He always had. How ironic that they had arrived at this place together. Sighing, she thanked the force for sending him to her.

_Tell me what you need  
Let me give you all of me  
Without you nothing's real  
You're the reason that I feel_

Tell me what you need  
Let me give you everything  
Every moment I'm alive  
Until the end of time 

Kyp smiled as he watched the young couple dance.

"Were we ever like that?" He asked quietly, feeling Jade's chuckle through his chest..

"Yeah. Not sure we were that bad though."

"What, I wasn't head over heels for you?"

"Kyp, you fought it every step of the way." She said, lifting her head up and smiling at him.

He looked indignant and huffed slightly.

"Not the whole way."

"Most of it."

"Half of it."

"Does it really matter?" She asked, giving him a gentle kiss.

"I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

!!

"I don't wanna go home." Karissa said quietly as he parked the speeder on top of their building. Turning off the engine, he made no move to get out. Instead, he reached over and gently pulled her to him. She settled in against him, his arm going around her shoulders.

"I don't want you to either, but I'd like to live."

"He wouldn't kill you."

"No, he would make my life miserable."

"True." She agreed, smiling. Jarik kissed the top of her head and she sighed.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked. She looked up and nodded, her gaze drifting down to his lips. Leaning down a little, he smiled. "You're insatiable."

"Yep." She said, then kissed him. One hand came up and pulled the thong out of his hair, allowing her to run her fingers through it. Jarik pulled her onto his lap and deepened the kiss, her fingers digging into his skull in response. Her lips were soft and responsive underneath his own and it was so easy to get lost in her. Too easy. Regretfully, he softened the kiss, until he broke it completely. Jarik rested his forehead against her and fought to keep his breathing under control.

"How'd I get stuck with a prude for a boyfriend." She joked, not moving.

"Prude?" He asked and she nodded, smiling roguishly. "My dear, I am anything but a prude. Trust me." He told her, his hand running down her back slowly, causing a shiver to follow the same path. "You have no idea how a guy's mind works. Especially when it comes to that."

Karissa found herself trembling unconsciously as his lips found her neck, placing a line of delicate kisses down it. She buried her hands in his hair again and bit back a moan when his tongue darted out at the curve of her neck and shoulder blade.

"And you have no idea, how much I want you right now." He whispered in her ear, then sighed. "But I'm not ready yet sweetheart, and I don't think you are either. That last thing I want to do is rush what's between us. Besides," He started, pulling back to look in her eyes, "we've got plenty of time to do that."

"We do?" She asked playfully, a smile on her lips. He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.

"Eternity."

!!

Kyp punched in the code and smiled when he saw Jag sitting in a chair a few meters from the door.

"Laugh now Durron. I'll remember it when Rika starts dating."

"That won't be an issue. She's not dating."

"She's not. Have you told her that?" Jag asked as his friend grabbed a dining room chair and sat it next to the one he now occupied, striking a similar pose. One that looked casual, but wasn't.

"Nah. I will in about 30 years."

Jag snorted and Kyp just smiled.

"They just landed on the roof, by the way." Kyp told him twenty minutes later. "Should we time them?"

"Yep."

!!

They stopped outside the Fel residence and he felt her sadness through their bond. When she reached up to punch the code into the door, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him.

"I had a wonderful time tonight." He whispered in her ear as she laid her arms over his.

"I did too." She informed him, turning her head to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome." He said, turning her in his arms and leaning down to kiss her when the door opened. They both swiveled their heads to see Jag and Kyp standing there with their arms crossed and frowns on their faces.

"Is there a particular reason it took you almost a half hour to get from the roof to the door?" Jag asked, his face a mask of fury but his eyes were shining with laughter.

"Yes daddy. The speeder was too uncomfortable, so we went down to the lobby to have sex." Karissa told him flippantly, crossing her own arms and staring back at him. "Drew quite a crowd too. I'm sure someone recorded it on a holocam."

Jarik's hand flew to his mouth, but didn't stop the laughter that bubbled out. Force, he loved this woman. Life was definitely more interesting with her in it.

Kyp couldn't hide his smile as he felt Jaina come into the room.

"What in the Sith is going on?" Jaina asked quietly, but her voice was anything but nice.

"Nothing dear. Just welcoming the children home." Jag said, finally allowing a smile to break out on his face.

"Mhm. Jagged Fel; bed now. Kyp Durron; go home. You two, bed. Separate ones." She finished, pointing at Karissa and Jarik then going back to her room.

"Guess we've been dismissed." Jarik said, kissing Karissa on the cheek. "Night." He added in a whisper, winking at her.

"Night." She responded as Jag pulled her through the doorway and the door closed behind her.

!!

**A/N : The song is 'Til the End of Time' by the very talented Mariah Carey. While she's not my favorite, the girl can definitely sing and this is one of my favorite songs.**

The quote on the pendant is by none of the than the wonderful Judy Garland.

Hope you enjoyed the mush cause we gots lots of angst coming up boys and girls!!  
  
!!


	21. Chapter 21

-1!!

Chapter 21

_Two days later… _

He cursed, loudly, when the trill of the comm unit finally penetrated his brain. Reaching over, he grabbed the offensive thing and thumbed it on. The other person spoke before he could.

"She's awake." Myri told him, instantly waking him up.

"You on your way?" Ajani asked as he got out of bed and made his way to the fresher.

"No, but I will be in about 10 minutes. You've got that long to make yourself presentable." She answered with laughter in her voice.

"Gee thanks for the vote of confidence boss." He told her, then hung up.

Fifteen minutes later, he was at the end of the patient's hallway in the med center. Walking briskly, he nodded to the guard outside her room then stepped inside. Not surprisingly, Myri was already there. Zoan sat in a chair on the other side of the room, holding some holopads in his lap and looking both bored and excited at the same time. Ajani focused his gaze back over to Myri and she looked up, shaking her head at him.

Pursing his lips, he walked over to sit on the windowsill to the right of Zoan. The young man looked up at him and gave him a pained smiled.

"She's looked through six data pads so far and nothing." He whispered, glancing over to see if the women had heard him. Satisfied they hadn't, he looked back to Ajani.

Before the detective could respond, a small cry was heard from the other side of the room. Their gazes both whipped to the young woman in the bed and the look of horror etched upon her face. _Could they finally be getting the break they needed?_ Ajani wondered.

"That's him." She whispered, handing the device to Myri. Ajani saw her breath catch and frowned.

"Are you sure?" She whispered to the woman, her eyes closed as if willing the answer away.

"Yes. I'm positive. He's the one who attacked me."

Myri thanked the young woman, then turned towards the men. Shock was evident on her face, but she was trying to hold it together. She nodded sharply to them and walked out of the room. Bewildered, they followed her, having to almost run to keep up. Neither one spoke as they all three rode the lift down to the ground floor. They exited the lift, following Myri and glancing at each other.

"Myri…"

"Not here. My office." She said simply, receiving an answer from both of them.

Ten minutes later, they both stood at her desk, waiting for her to drop what was obviously a bomb on them. She sat there, working on something on a data pad as they waited. Finally, she signed the item and handed it to Ajani.

Warily, he took it from her and felt his stomach drop when he read it.

"Myr…"

"Do it. This coupled with the footage…if I don't do this they'll have my head." She said, swallowing painfully and not meeting his eyes. Ajani nodded, handing it to Zoan and walked out of the office.

!!

_Two hours later…  
Senator Durron's office… _

Jade's comlink chirped a few times before she finally answered it. Groggily, she reached over her head to pick it up on the table next to the couch and thumbed it on, not opening her eyes. She hadn't slept well last night. Partly because of the party and partly…well her husband was the other reason. Not that she had complained at the time.

"Durron."

"Jade. Turn on the holonet." Jared said, the tone of his voice making her sit up suddenly.

"Why?" She asked, jumping up and flipping it on. What she saw made her drop the comm and she felt her stomach clench. Her knees gave out and she found herself sitting on the floor, leaning against her desk as she watched the galaxy judge her family yet again.

"We've just gotten word that Intelligence has finally cracked the case of the serial killer. NRI now reporting that they know his identity and I have to be honest, I never expected this folks." The reporter paused, visibly shaken by the information she was being given. A picture of her husband floated in the top right hand corner and she felt separated from herself. Like she was watching everything from a distance.

"Master Kyp Durron has been named as the suspect in the merciless killing spree that has plagued Coruscant for the last two years. Details aren't being released yet, but there is a press conference scheduled for 30 minutes from now. Again, if you're just joining us, NRI is saying they have identified the serial killer…"

Closing her eyes, Jade found her wits and reached out to her husband. Jarik found her first and she could feel his concern and confusion. He didn't know what was happening yet, but he was trying to comfort her nonetheless. She nearly wept at his actions, but she knew she had to be strong right now. Jade told him to get his siblings and go home and she felt him acknowledge her request, then break off his contact.

Reaching over she picked up her comm link and realized that Jared had released the call. He would be here soon. Sighing deeply, she dialed and waited.

!!

He weaved in and out of students as he ran down the halls, throwing apologies over his shoulder without slowing. Why in the hell did Durron's classroom have to be across the building? His comm went off, but he didn't answer it. Jag had to get to Kyp before someone else did. He turned the corner down Durron's hall and skidded, nearly falling down as he tried to navigate the turn, keep his speed up and avoid two students. Somehow he managed it and finally made it to Kyp's office door.

Not waiting to be invited in, he punched in the code and walked in to see Kyp walking out of the fresher, surprise on his face.

"What's wrong?" The master asked his friend, as Jag walked across the room and turned the holonet on. As the news flashed across the screen he watched Kyp hold his breath in shock and the blood drain from his face. Jag's comm went off again and he started to ignore it, but something made him answer.

"Fel."

"Find Kyp." Jade's said, her voice sounding weary. Jag looked down and saw the haunted look in her eyes.

"I'm with him now, Jade."

"Don't let him leave the building."

"We have to get him out of here. They're going to come looking for him." He countered, glancing up to see Kyp still watching the news feed. Jag whipped around as the door opened behind him and relaxed a little when Luke walked through the door.

"You got here before me." The grandmaster said quietly, his gaze going to Kyp. "Good. We have some planning to do."

"I told Jarik to take the kids home." Jade's voice came softly into the room, finally grabbing Kyp's attention.

"Jade." He said quietly, turning to take Jag's comm from him. "Jade I…"

"It's ok. Just take care of yourself. I'm sure Luke has a plan." Luke's lips curved into a smile at her words. "I love you." She told him quietly, her voice wavering.

"I love you too." Kyp answered, still looking at the screen even after she signed off. Jag reached over to take it from him and pushed his friend down onto the couch he was standing by.

"What are we doing?" The former Chiss commander asked, knowing that Jade was probably right. Luke had figured out what to do before he even got here.

"Kyp's not leaving the temple."

"I can't stay here." The object of discussion said from his place on the couch. Both men turned to look at him as Kyp leaned back into the cushions, his shock starting to wear off. "I'm endangering the students here."

"No, you're not. I can't protect you if you leave the building. I can, however, keep the authorities out of the temple. They have no jurisdiction over the Jedi." Luke said as he waited for Kyp to calm down and see that he was right.

"Jade and the kids…"

"Jared and I will take care of them. We need to figure out why they think it's you." Jag stated, crossing his arms and already thinking of all the issues he was going to have to take care of. This would affect his and Jared's families too. Security was not going to be fun right now.

"I didn't do this." Kyp whispered.

"That's not an issue." Luke said, walking over to sit next to him. "We both know you didn't and I'm positive we're not the only ones. We'll get to the bottom of this Kyp. I need you to worry about yourself right now, just like Jade said." Kyp nodded absently and Luke met Jag's glance, nodding to the younger man who turned to leave.

"Are you going to be ok for a while?" Kyp nodded at his question and Luke stood to leave. "I'll be back in a little while. Don't answer the door unless it's Jag or I." His friend nodded again and Luke spared him one last look then left him alone with his thoughts.

!!

Jared entered the outer office and sighed in relief when he saw Seena sitting at her desk. She looked up and smiled at him, then her face fell.

"What is it?" She asked, standing to meet him halfway. He grabbed her arm and steered her into Jade's office. Jared swore when he saw Jade sitting on the floor, her arms around her knees and her head bowed. Seena stood, just inside the door not really knowing what had happened.

"Jared…" She started, when her husband held up a hand and stopped her.

"Jade." He said quietly as he touched her shoulder and felt his heart squeeze when she raised her head to show her tear-streaked face. Jared heard Seena gasp, but he didn't have time to answer her questions right now. He had to get Jade out of here, before it got so bad he couldn't.

"Come on. I'm taking you home." Gently, he reached out and helped her stand smiling to himself when she pushed him away and straightened her jacket.

"I told Jarik to take the kids home." The senator said quietly, not meeting either friend's gaze.

"He didn't do this, Jade. You know that!"

Finally, her eyes met his and she smiled softly. "I know. He's not Bela." Jared moved to grab her bag as Seena came over and pulled Jade into a hug. Grabbing Jade's arm, he pulled the women apart and started towards the door. Thankfully, no one in the office knew what had happened yet, so he was able to get as far as the front door before he was stopped.

There were already reporters down in the lobby and Jared swore as he changed direction and led the women down a side hall. He had parked the speeder towards the back of the building knowing he was going to need to make a fast getaway. Their luck held out as he walked out into the afternoon light and didn't see anyone who looked like a reporter loitering around. He walked quickly towards the speeder, trusting Seena to keep up with him, his grip still on Jade's arm.

Jared guided Jade to the front passenger seat and winked at Seena as she climbed in the back. He started up the speeder, and calmly pulled away from the building. Jetting out of here would only bring attention to them and he hoped no one would notice they had left.

There was no conversation on the way to the apartment. He knew his wife was curious, but to her credit she didn't say anything. Jumping when his comm went off, he reached down and thumbed it on.

"Obath."

"Uncle Jared?" He managed to hear Jarik over the noise that was coming through the unit.

"Where are you Jarik?" He asked, going around a slower moving vehicle as his eyes darted to take in everything around them.

"We're almost home. Do you want me to pick up Micah and Aiden?"

"No. Just get yourselves home. Micah can manage. Don't open the door or answer the comm for anyone."

"Ok." Jarik answered, then hung up.

Jared chanced a glance in the rear view mirror and sighed in relief. They weren't being tailed, which surprised him. His guess was that everyone else was in as much shock as he was about the news. He had been at home working out when the news had come across. It had taken him a minute to recover, but his only goal was to get Jade to safety. He knew Jag would take care of Kyp.

They made it to the garage on top of their building with no problem. Thankfully no reporters could get to the roof since it was a private residence, but he had glanced down to see a crowd outside the front entrance of the building.

!!

Zekk marched his way down the hallway towards Kyp's office. The last of the students had just been picked up and he had made sure that Kyp's classes had all been notified of the change in plans. Thankfully, none of the students knew what was going on yet. Actually, he was surprised at that but he really shouldn't be. Luke had locked down the temple pretty quickly to prevent the mass chaos that was to follow from starting too early.

Luke had told him that Kyp wouldn't open the door for anyone but him or Jag. Zekk didn't have a problem with that, but he didn't like him being so exposed. He came to the door and turned around leaning against the wall to the side of it. The least he could do is make sure no one got to Kyp.

!!

Jarik's pacing was driving Karissa mad.

"Jarik, please stop." She said quietly, her head in her hands as she fought to keep her worry down. Her father's anxiety was seeping through the force and it was making her nervous. Jag Fel never got like this, not even when her siblings were born.

The other kids were down the hall playing quietly while they waited to hear what was going on. Jarik was a mess though. Karissa looked up and found he had stopped his pacing, but his gaze was directed to the floor and she had never seen the look that he had right now. He was scared. Biting her lip, she stood and walked over to him, making him jump when she touched his arm. He looked at her confused for a moment, then sighed.

"Everything will be ok." She whispered and he nodded, pulling her into an embrace. His chest rumbled slightly as he chuckled.

"Usually, it's me saying that." He told her as she smiled into his chest.

"Yeah, well I get to be the mature one for once."

Jarik laughed and started to respond when the front door opened and his mother walked in. She looked up and smiled at them and not for the first time Karissa couldn't help but admire Jade's strength. Most people would be a nervous wreck, but not her aunt Jade. Jared and Seena were right behind her, the latter going down the hall to check on the younger children.

Jade sat down on one end of the couch and sighed, resting her head against the back of it. She felt calm to Karissa, but that was probably where Jarik got his ability to hide anxiety from. She and Jarik stayed where they were, neither willing to let go right now. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes suddenly feeling very tired.

Seena came back down the hall and Jade stood up, despite her friends protests.

"I'm gonna take the twins and Jessa down to our place. You want me to take Galvin and Rika?" Seena asked, but Jade shook her head.

"No. I need to talk to them first." The senator answered. "I'll have Jared bring them down if they want to come afterwards." Seena nodded, giving Jade another hug and ushered the Fel kids out the door. Her husband stood next to the door, having relaxed slightly since their arrival. But Karissa knew he was anything but.

Jade sat back down and turned to Galven and Rika who had taken up seats at the other end of the couch. Rika sat very close to her brother and Jade had to smile. She loved that her children were close and always relied on each other. It made her worry less…a little. Taking a deep breath she glanced over to Jarik then back to his siblings.

"Your father isn't going to be home for a few days." Jade told them, waiting for the questions to start. When they didn't, she became confused.

"Mom, we already know." Galven told her, looking entirely too serious for his age.

"How…"

"Jarik told us." Rika offered. Jade looked up to where her son has started pacing by the balcony door. "What did he tell you?" She asked softly, her eyes not leaving Jarik.

"That daddy is being blamed for killing those women. But he didn't do it." Rika told her, her voice clearly showing that she agreed with her older brother. The girl stood up and came to the other end to climb into her mother's lap. "He doesn't even yell at _us_. He wouldn't hurt anyone."

"No honey, he didn't do it. But he has to stay at the temple right now. Until we can prove it." She told her, squeezing her closer and reaching over to grasp Galven's hand. Her middle son looked at her and offered her a small smile.

"We'll be ok mom." He told her and she nodded, pulling him to her side. Jarik had moved his pacing to behind the couch, but she would talk to him when she was done with his siblings. Karissa sat mutely in the chair across from Jade, looking uncomfortable but refusing to leave.

"Can we go down to Aiden's?" Rika asked quietly and Jade kissed her head and nodded. Karissa stood taking the girl's hand and Galven followed them to the door. She started to walk through when Jarik stopped her with a question.

"You're coming back?"

She turned her head to smile and nodded. Satisfied he resumed his pacing and Jade chuckled. She had been superseded in her son's life it seemed.

"No you haven't." He whispered, finally stopping, bracing himself against the back of the couch. Looking down at her, he smirked. "It just got more crowded in the number one spot."

"Jarik it's ok to say she's solely there herself. I'm not offended" Jade told him, leaning back into the cushions and rubbing her temples.

"Yes, but that would be lying." He responded, jumping over the back of the couch to plop down next to her. Jade gave him a look and he just smiled. She hated when he did that, but he just wanted to make her smile right now. He put his arm around her shoulder and she gladly leaned into him.

"They handled it better than I thought they would. Thank you." She told him, not having to see his face to know he was smiling.

"Well, I didn't know if you were going to be able to tell them right away and you know how Galven is. He wants to know what's going on right then. So I just went ahead and did it." He said matter of factly.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you lately?" She said as she lifted her head off his shoulder.

"Have I told you how I don't know how you do it?" He joked. "I'm a nervous wreck and you're calm."

Jade chuckled.

"Years of practice honey. And I'm not calm, I just look like it."

The door swooshed back open and Karissa stood there, uncertainty etched on her features. Jade stood and beckoned her in as she started her way down the hall.

"Aunt Jade you don't have to…"

"No, I'm not about to cramp his style by staying here." She joked, giving the girl a wink. "I have things to do anyway and it will keep my mind off…stuff." She offered. Karissa turned to Jarik as she walked out of the room and questioned him.

"You have style?"

"I'm hurt."

"Poor baby." She told him as he walked over and raised his eyebrows at her.

"You can kiss it and make it better." He joked, pulling her closer and giving her a light kiss.

"And you call me insatiable."

!!


	22. Chapter 22

-1!!

Chapter 22

_Next day… _

Alastair punched in the code to his mother's apartment and stepped inside. The smell of food teased his nose and he smiled. Setting his bag down just inside the door, he walked further into the room and turned into the kitchen. A chuckle escaped him as he saw the table laden with various desserts his mother had obviously been baking all night.

"I'd ask how you are, but I don't need to, I think." He said suddenly, laughter erupting from him when his mother jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Alastair Storm! Don't sneak up on me like that." She told him as she leaned back against the sink, one hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear me come in." He told her, walking over and giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"Guess I have other things on my mind." She said quietly as she turned back around to finish what she had been doing.

"Mom…"

"I'm fine honey. What are you doing here? Not that I mind, but don't you have some hot date to get ready for tonight?" She threw at him as she finished the creation she was working on.

He didn't answer right away and she turned around to find him rubbing the back of his neck and looking uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"I have to ship out tomorrow morning."

"But you just got back." She said.

"You know how it is with the Rogues."

Her face fell slightly, but she forced the smile anyway. For her son's sake.

"Yes, I remember."

"Mom, I worry about you when I'm gone." Alastair said, sitting in one of the kitchen chairs and grabbing a cookie from a plate.

"I don't know why. I've been on my own for a while honey and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I'm not arguing that. I would just feel better if you had someone to keep you company."

Myri turned around and glared at him. "Are you saying I need a boyfriend?"

"Maybe." He answered, popping part of a cookie into his mouth and smiling. "How's Ajani?" He asked, her eyes widening slightly at his question.

"I assume he's fine." Myri answered shortly, turning back around and trying to control her reaction. Before he could say anything the door chimed and he stood up.

"I'll get it."

Myri didn't say anything, just continued what she was doing. She was going to have to beat her son.

The door slid open and Alastair couldn't hide his smile. The subject of their discussion stood there awkwardly.

"Sir."

"Lt. I was looking for your mom, but if she's busy…"

"Not at all." Alastair said, moving to the side to let him in. "She's not doing anything important."

"Alastair, who…" She stopped in her tracks as she looked up and saw who had been at the door. The young pilot fought very hard to hide the chuckle that was trying to work it's way out of him. These two were a riot at trying to hide their feelings. Time for him to give them a push. He walked over to his mom and gave her another kiss.

"I'll call you in a couple of days when we get settled at…wherever the sith we're going." He told her, turning to leave. "Sir." He nodded to Ajani, then left. Neither one of them had said anything as the young man had left. Ajani did note that Myri looked fit to be tied though and that caused him to smile a little.

"You know, I think people at work would probably not be so afraid of you if they saw you in that." He said, pointing to the apron she was wearing. Myri shook her head and looked down, a blush covering her cheeks.

"I was just making some…" She started, then stopped. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came by to see how you were." He told her, stepping further into the room and closer to her.

"What is this, check on the director day?" She mumbled and before she knew it, he was right in front of her. Myri looked up and had to remember how to breathe for a moment. She had been fighting her feelings for Ajani for so long, she wasn't sure how to do anything else. He made the next step for her. Reaching a hand up, he ran his thumb along her cheek and she closed her eyes at his touch. It had been entirely too long since she'd felt like this. His other hand snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, her hands resting against his chest.

"Do you have anything in the cooker?" He asked her, his voice husky and his arm holding her tightly to him.

"No."

"Good." He said, right before he covered her lips with his own.

!!

"We're awaiting Senator Durron's arrival…"

He smiled as he watched the circus that was the media continue to run with the story. His plan had worked better than he had ever dreamed. The only drawback was that Karissa was now locked away in her family's apartment so he had no access to her. But he would manage. In the end, she would be right where she was supposed to be. With him.

!!

"I'd like to thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm just going to give a short statement and won't be taking questions at this time." Jade said, her voice strong and confident; the complete opposite of how she felt at the moment. Clearing her throat, she glanced down at the podium to regain her composure then looked up.

"As I'm sure you are all aware, my husband was recently charged with the unthinkable crime of the murder of eight young ladies over the last two years. I'd like to start out by saying that my husband is innocent of these charges. I do realize the pressure of the authorities to catch this horrible serial killer that has plagued us for far too long and appreciate their efforts. However, I cannot agree with their findings. I have asked that an outside, neutral party look at the evidence they have presented to see if they can obtain any additional information that would exonerate my husband. I know in my heart, that Kyp is innocent and that the truth will shine through in the end. At this time, I ask that you please respect what my family is going through and let us have our privacy. We have nothing to hide and I will be happy to share any information I can with the press. But I will not tolerate any badgering of my family, especially my children. Thank you."

Jade didn't flinch as a cacophony of voices slammed into her from the reporters who had blatantly ignored that she wasn't taking questions. Jared cupped her elbow, helping her down from the stage as she tried to ignore the throng of press pushing to get through the police barrier to get to her. She stepped into the senate building and proceeded to make her way to her office. There were some things she needed to pick up, then she was going to be off on personal leave for a while. Her backup would take over in the senate while she was indisposed.

They had made it all the way to her door before Senator Cortz crossed her path. She and Kyp had gone to the funeral for his daughter, as had all the senators. Neither one of them had exchanged words with the senator. It was no great secret they were usually on opposite sides of any issue the senate was debating. Though she held no great love for the man, neither did she hate him or wish such tragedy on him.

"Someone should probably question your choice of husbands, Durron." He sneered and she could feel the hatred coming off of him. "First you marry a slaver then a serial killer. Guess you're moving up the food chain there."

Jared moved before she could stop him and pushed himself into the senator's face. She grabbed his arm, hoping he could control himself right now. The last thing she needed was him getting hauled off to jail for battery.

"Jared." She pleaded softly as her fingers tightened on his arm. He was coiled tightly, hanging onto his anger by a thread. The last day had been hard on them all. With Kyp's name plastered all over the media and reporters trying to get scoops, they had all reached their limits in a short time.

"I will make sure Master Durron is prosecuted to the full extent. He won't get away from this scott free like he did last time. And your career in the senate will be over." He gloated, giving her a leer then turning to walk down the hall.

Sighing, she squeezed Jared's arm and pulled him into her office. He was still screaming mad, pacing while she gathered what she needed.

"How can you be so kriffing calm?" He finally asked, anger marring his baritone voice.

Jade looked up from her desk and gave him a small smile.

"Do I really have a choice?" She asked, not expecting an answer but asking all the same. "My family is being attacked and it's up to me to keep them together right now. It's what Kyp would do if our roles were reversed." She whispered, continuing her precise movements. Jared watched her for a few moments and she felt the anger seep out of him slowly.

"It's the same as last time, Jared. The only difference is this time I know my husband. I know him better than he knows himself and he did not do this. Despite how quickly everyone wants to condemn him. I have to believe that he will be proven innocent."

!!

Kyp rubbed his hands over his face as he watched Jade address the media. He should be there with her, providing support. But he was stuck in his office, sleeping on his couch and depending on someone to bring him food.

"Kinda like prison." He mumbled to himself as he fell back on the couch. "Not like I haven't been there before." This was the first time in about 15 years he and Jade hadn't slept in the same bed and it had affected him last night. Probably why he was crabby right now. Coupled with the fact he couldn't see his wife and kids except on the comm and Kyp Durron was not a happy JedI.

He tuned out the anchor's commentary after Jade had finished speaking and threw his arm over his eyes. It wasn't like him to be apathetic, at least not in the last 20 years but he was very much feeling it right now. His door slid open, but he didn't move. There were only two people who had the new code to his door. He frowned as he turned his head and saw Jaina standing there.

"I'm gonna kill Jag." He told her as he went back to his previous position.

"He didn't give me the code." She told her friend as she walked closer to the couch and sat down heavily on his stomach. Kyp moved his arm to glare at her and found her smiling at him.

"What do you want, Fel?" He asked as he pushed her off him and sat up.

"I figured you could use some exercise." Kyp arched an eyebrow at her and she laughed. "Come on. You need to get rid of that anger that's hovering over you." She told him, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the door.

"But the students…"

"Your classroom is just down the hall and Zekk took your students to another part of the temple to practice."

"Luke gave Zekk my class?" He snarked, then winced when Jaina smacked his arm.

"Be nice."

"I am."

Kyp continued to pout as they made their way down the hall. They didn't pass any students on their way there and for that Kyp was grateful. Luke had kept classes going, even though Kyp hadn't agreed with the decision. Skywalker's argument had been that life should go on as normal as possible for the students and since most of them lived at the temple it was a waste to not have them in class. Since yesterday, only a few students had been pulled from the temple, and Luke was positive that they would be the only ones.

Jaina flipped the lights on and Kyp sighed as he entered the room. It had only been a day but he had missed the normalcy of teaching already. He watched as she walked towards the center of the mats, then turn to face him.

"Come on, Durron. Time's a-wastin'."

Kyp smiled and pulled his blade from his belt, excited about something for the first time that day.

!!


	23. Chapter 23

-1!!

**Chapter 23 **

_Two days later… _

The old man had just left. He had been here to make sure that Cutter knew the rest of the plan and didn't deviate from it. Cutter snorted.

"Like I'm going to follow that plan." He mumbled as he watched the news that night. His nerves were on edge because he hadn't seen her in two days. Her coming and goings had been few and far between and when he had gotten a glimpse of her that Durron brat was always with her. That needed to change…and soon.

!!

Myri waited patiently for Master Skywalker to call her back. Ajani sat across the room on the couch, there for morale support more than anything. He knew this was hard on her and that what she was about to do could get her fired from her job. But he also knew she had to do it.

Her comm station chimed and she reached forward to answer it.

"Director." Luke greeted her with a smile. She was eternally grateful that he wasn't the kind of person to hold grudges.

"Master Skywalker."

"What can I help you with, Myri? Your message was very vague."

"I know." She answered, shifting slightly. "I meant for it to be."

Luke waited, sensing she was having difficulty with whatever she wanted to tell him.

"I'm going to have someone drop a package off for you at the temple" She told him quietly, biting her lip when he frowned. They had been given a copy of the last attack by a local business that hadn't known it possessed such footage. The business usually copied over its tapes after a week, but for some reason this one had been lost. Someone had misplaced it and when it had been viewed again, its importance was realized.

"Am I going to like the package?" He asked, a smile trying to form.

"I'm hoping that you can look at it and see what we're missing."

Suddenly Luke understood. "Myri, don't…"

"I don't think he did this, Luke. But my people are too caught up in thinking he did. They're not objective right now. I can't say anything because he's my brother-in-law and it will look like favoritism."

"And I will be objective?"

"Yes. You're always objective, even if you don't want to be. You're the only person I trust with this."

Luke sighed and nodded. "I'll have Ben watching for them." He told her, then smiled. "Thank you Myri."

!!

Kyp was holed up in Luke's office as they looked over the footage that Carwyn had delivered to them. Myri had suggested he not watch it so that he couldn't remember any of it if he was questioned later on down the line.

Most of them were here already. Jarik and Karissa sat on one of the couches, not talking. She had her head on his shoulder and her eyes closed. Luke smiled as he looked at them. He wasn't sure there were two people that deserved each other more. Jaina and Jag were sitting on the couch to their left, deep in conversation. Corran, Valin and Ben were standing over by the window having what looked to be a civilized argument and he probably didn't want to know about what. They were just waiting on Micah and Jade now. Sari wasn't feeling well, so she wasn't joining them. Jade had walked with Micah to check on her and they were on their way back.

The door swooshed open and the final two entered the room, prompting Luke to clear his throat and get everyone's attention. Micah settled on the arm of the chair Jade had occupied and Luke took a deep breath.

"I got a call from NRI earlier. Myri sent over some footage from the attack that is not available to the general public." He felt their shock hit him hard, but he continued. "I hope I don't need to tell you that any information I just told you or what we're about to see is not to leave this room tonight. Myri could lose more than her job if this got out. Our only goal is to try and prove that it is not Kyp in the footage. End of story."

The next two hours were spent pouring over everything they had been given. The original tape from the temple that showed Mya's murder and then the one Myri had provided were pretty much all they had to go on. Since the victim had positively identified Kyp as her assailant, it was up to him to prove his innocence…or at least give reasonable doubt.

They were watching the tape Carwyn had delivered when Karissa started to glance away from the screen, but something caught her eyes.

"That's not uncle Kyp's saber." Karissa whispered, silence filling the room at her quiet proclamation.

"How do you know honey?" Her mother asked as Karissa reached up and rewound the tape, excitement coursing through her. When it got to a certain spot she stopped it and ran it forward again in slow motion.

"There." She said, pointing with the finger of her free hand to the weapon. "The proportion is off. At least in respect to the person's torso."

"Karissa, I don't…"

"Uncle Kyp's blade is medium length. In this tape, the blade is obviously shorter than the person's torso. Uncle Kyp's is about the same length as his torso."

"How the sith do you know that Kissa?" Corran asked, still dubious.

"He and I have sparred so many times it was something I didn't even realize I knew. But even if I hadn't realized it, this person would have to be Rika's size to have the blade be the correct length."

"It's not a lightsaber." Micah whispered.

"No, it's not. There's no way unless someone started making Yoda sized ones." She snarked, garnering light laughter from the group.

"The blade looks the same, just shorter. Somehow, someone made a weapon that mimics a saber but isn't the same size."

"That doesn't necessarily mean it's not Kyp." Ben offered.

"No, but it's a start." Luke responded.

Jade stared at the image, wondering why it was bothering her other than the obvious. Karissa moved to start it again and Jade stayed her hand.

"Is it just me, or is that blade curved?" The senator asked.

"It's just the angle…isn't it?" Valin asked, his voice not entirely confident.

Jarik reached over Karissa's shoulder and rewound the footage to the beginning and they watched it again. No one said anything as it played through and he repeated his actions again.

"I think you're right, mom."

"He's holding the grip like a saber, but the blade goes straight right up from the handle, then curves gently." Luke said, his brows knitting together.

Karissa sighed, knowing they were just nitpicking things that weren't going to make a difference in Kyp's defense. She listened half-heartedly while everyone discussed the subject and kept playing with the buttons. Her eyes followed the movement on the screen without really seeing it for a few minutes before something made her stop.

Squinting, she moved her face closer and rewound the tape again watching it move forward.

"He's wearing a mask."

"What?" Jarik asked, his attention going back to the screen. They all watched as Karissa's fingers flew across the control board manipulating the image to get in closer and make it just a tad clearer. This footage was extremely better than the temple footage had been and was clearer also. She zeroed in on the top of the man's form and then rewound it yet again.

"Sithspit. She's right!!" Corran exclaimed, pointing on the screen to where the seam was now visible to everyone. The man's skin was lighter than the mask, making it easier to notice the contrast. It was something they wouldn't have picked up on if Karrisa hadn't zoomed in.

"That gives reasonable doubt as to whether it's Kyp or not." Jade said, hope entering her voice for the first time in two days.

"But will it be enough to make NRI back down from their claim?" Jarik answered, feeling Karissa squeeze his hand.

!!

Luke and Corran called Myri while the rest of them chatted in the room. Karissa was standing at the window, frustration rolling off her when Jarik finally walked over to her.

"Let's go for a walk?" He said quietly as she turned around to frown at him.

"But what if…"

"They'll comm us. I need to get out of this room." He told her and was extremely glad when she agreed. They didn't bother telling anyone where they were going. He knew his mom would figure it out and he wasn't worried about anyone saying anything about it.

Karissa grabbed Jarik's hand as they walked down the hall, no particular destination in mind. The silence was comfortable as Jarik worked to rid his head of all his worries, at least for a while. She smiled as she realized Jarik was leading her to one of the smaller gardens in the temple. He always liked to surround himself with life when he needed to release some steam. Said it balanced him. She let him lead her over to a small patch of grass across from the waterfall and she sat down next to him, laying her head on his lap when he finally got comfortable. They sat there, Jarik staring at the water and she at the stars through the transparent ceiling. Leaning back on one arm, his free hand played with a few strands of her hair.

"Remember the last time we were here?" She asked quietly, a smile on her face as she switched her gaze from the stars to him.

"Gods yes. You were freaking out about that horrible survival test we had to endure." He joked, looking down to meet her eyes. "We had just come from class after it was announced and you were livid."

"Yeah, I was pretty bad wasn't I." She said, embarrassment flooding through their bond as she broke eye contact.

"Hey." He said, his hand coming up to run a finger down her cheek. "You have no reason to be embarrassed." Jarik murmured to her.

"I was acting like a spoiled brat." She said, her eyes still not meeting his. "It's a miracle you ever started liking me."

"Kissa." He whispered, his voice forcing her to look at him again. "I started liking you long before that. There isn't anything about you I don't like, even your imperfections. Don't ever think they could stop me from wanting to be with you."

Tears started to cloud her vision and she blinked rapidly. "No pressure or anything." She joked, but he didn't take offense. Jarik knew if was a defense mechanism she used and she had at least come by it honestly. He stared into her eyes for a moment, before he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss onto her lips.

!!

"Looks like someone beat us here." Micah commented with a chuckle behind her. Sari felt a smile come to her face, but it didn't reach her heart. He felt her tense and he pulled her back into the hallway.

"What's wrong? You've been unusually quiet the last few days." Sari followed him over to a bench and let him pull her down next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Talk to me honey." He whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm just worried about everything." She responded. Micah kissed the top of her head and frowned. There was more to it than that, but he wasn't about to push her. Hopefully she would tell him in her own time.


	24. Chapter 24

-1!!

**Chapter 24 **

_Next day…  
Mid-morning… _

Luke watched as Kyp fidgeted in his seat. He had sent the information to Myri yesterday that they had turned up while they were looking at the tape. She had told him that the small group that was looking over the information too had confirmed their findings and now they were waiting for NRI to call them and tell them if the charges were going to be dropped. Meanwhile, Kyp was ready to explode and Luke was finding it hard to keep from chuckling at him.

"You know it's gonna be a while before we hear from them." Kyp told him and Luke simply nodded.

"Was there something else you'd rather be doing, Master Durron?" Teased Luke as both men smiled at each other. Corran was across the room and he groaned.

"Don't you two ever get tired of trying to kick each other's butt's?"

Kyp and Luke turned and their grins deepened. "Nope." They answered as they stood up and walked into the next room that had Luke's personal gym in it. Might as well blow off some steam as they waited.

!!

"Jarik?"

Jarik lifted his gaze as he stepped out of his speeder and gave the man before him a puzzled look.

"Yes?" He asked, alarms not going off in his head but apprehension blanketing him just the same. Karissa wouldn't worry if he was a few minutes late picking her up.

"I'm sorry, I'm Cutter." The man told him, extending his hand to shake. Jarik hesitated a brief second then took the man's hand.

"What can I help you with Cutter?"

"Actually, Micah sent me."

Jarik's alarms did go off then. Micah wouldn't send a total stranger to him unless he had no choice. He still wasn't getting anything from the man, but his stomach started clenching in anxiety.

"Is he ok?"

"Yeah, he needs to talk to you. Said it was urgent."

"Why didn't he just conta…" Whatever Jarik was about to say was cut off as he felt someone come up behind him and grab one of his arms. Before he could react he felt the force ripped from him and something hard hit his head and the blackness swallowed him.

!!

Karissasighed as she sat on the bench. _He should be here by now_ she thought to herself. Jarik was hardly ever late and if he was he always called. Karissa sat forward, her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on her palms as her fingers tapped against her cheek. Lightly she reached out and felt nothing when she tried to contact him. Her skin prickled. That wasn't right. Jarik never cut her off completely, he was always there in her head somewhere.

Standing, she started to walk down the hall towards the entrance. She wasn't supposed to go anywhere on her own but she had the feeling that something was wrong and she had learned to trust those feelings over the years. Breaking out into the late morning sunlight she scanned the area and saw Jarik's speeder a little way down the street. Maybe he had a surprise in store for her. That brought a small smile to her face as she walked quickly down the stairs in the direction of his vehicle.

When she got closer, she slowed her speed glancing at everything around her. The door to Jarik's speeder was ajar and her heart skipped.

"No." She whispered, her feet picking up their pace and her hand going to her saber on her belt. Using her weapon, she pushed the door open a little wider and nearly fell to her knees with what she saw. Splatters of blood ran across the driver's seat and the console. Her hand blindingly groped for her comm.

"Obath."

"Micah. I need you."

"Kissa, I don't think Jarik would be happy to hear that."

"Micah, please. I think something happened to him." She said, desperation in her voice.

!!

"I have to go." Micah told her, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. Sari didn't say anything as he walked towards the door.

"Micah." She croaked and he turned, giving her a confused look. He felt his stomach drop at the look on her face and he was almost afraid to ask. The timing was horrible.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." She whispered, tears streaking down her face, but he didn't move.

"Sorry about what?" He managed to get out, dread pooling in his stomach.

"I never wanted to help him, but…"

His feet moved and took him to stand in front of her.

"Help who Sari? Who did you help?"

"Cutter."

"Who's Cutter?" He asked, with more patience than he had known he possessed.

"He's the one who's been killing those women." Her voice was so faint that Micah almost didn't hear her. A flurry of emotions ripped through him and he saw her flinch. Oh yeah, he was broadcasting loud and clear right now. The only thing keeping him from ripping into her was the fact he loved her.

"Where did he take him?" He asked, trying to compartmentalize his feelings so he could function.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me."

"Did he give you any clues?" Micah asked as the logical part of his brain took over since he heart was screaming in protest right now. Grabbing her upper arms he pulled her so that she was standing and shook her slightly. "Think Sari. Where would he have taken Jarik?"

Her sobs were audible in the room and he bit his lip before he said something he would regret later. "He and some of his buddies used to hang out down by the warehouses and he always commented that would be a good place to hide. I didn't think anything of it at first…"

Plucking his comm off his belt he called Karissa.

"Kissa, head down to the warehouse district. I'll meet you there." He didn't wait for her answer, knowing she would do it without question. His attention was directed back to the young woman in front of him and he sighed. There wasn't time to deal with this right now.

"When we find him, you and I are going to have a talk." He told her, lifting her chin so that she was looking at him. She nodded at him and he stepped away, backing towards the door. With one last look, he opened the door and bounded out down the hall leaving behind a mess he wasn't sure he wanted to dig through later.

!!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 **

Jarik's head felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. He reached out to use the force to clear it, when he suddenly felt the emptiness.

"Sith. Freaking animals." He cursed the unseen, force-voiding entities that Cutter must have stashed around him. Jarik swore when this was over he was going to fly to Myrkr and kill every last one of those sithing things. Taking a few deep breaths, he slowly opened his eyes, happy to see that the light wasn't bright wherever they had dumped him.

He slowly moved his head to take in his surroundings and groaned. "What is it with bad guys and kriffing warehouses." He mumbled as he started to move his limbs to see if anything was broken. Surprisingly, he wasn't tied up. Whoever had taken him was either an idiot, or had no reason to be afraid of him. Of course without the force he only had this training from Jag to rely on. When he breathed in his chest felt tight, but it didn't feel like he had broken anything.

The sound of voices grabbed his attention and he swung his head to see who it was. Slowly, he kept his eyes on the new arrivals as he stood up to face them. This ought to be interesting. Two men out of the group made their way over to him, but the other three walked over to his left towards a chair and table that were bathed in the light of a bare bulb.

The two men coming his way didn't exactly make him feel very confident. They were built like Wookies and one of them had a grin on his face. Not good. They each grabbed an arm, twisting it back behind him to limit his movements. He didn't even bother to try and get away from him. It would be stupid to. Plus he was curious to know what was going on. He just hoped it didn't get him killed.

They half carried, half dragged him over towards the others, but didn't seat him in the chair as he thought they would. He was stopped in front of who he assumed was the host of this little party.

"What, no loud music, scantily clad serving girls or flashing lights? Man, someone needs to school you in the finer art of party throwing." Jarik snarked but no smile came to his face. Cutter simply narrowed his eyes then punched him in the stomach. Jarik stayed bent over for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath, before one of the behemoths holding him grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked him back up. Schooling his features to hide his pain, Jarik glared at the man in front of him.

"Just like your father." Cutter sneered, running a hand over his own chin. "Arrogant to the last."

"And how the hell do you know what my father is like?" He spat back, wincing as his stomach convulsed one last time before finally settling down.

"Oh I know all about the great Kyp Durron. Jedi Master extraordinaire. Miraculously reformed dark sider brought back into the esteemed fold of Grandmaster Luke Skywalker. Expert ruiner of innocent lives." He added the last part with a sneer.

* * *

Her steps moved her quickly up the steps to the second floor of the temple. Jared was practically jogging to keep up with her at this point, but she didn't care. She had to talk to Kyp. The door was open to Luke's office and not caring who was inside she walked in.

Four sets of eyes looked up in surprise at her entrance, but she only focused on one. Jade practically flung herself into his arms.

"What are you doing here?" He asked quietly.

"Missed you too, dear."

Kyp chuckled, squeezing her tighter. It had been too freaking long since he had gotten to hold her and he wasn't about to question why she was here. Yet. Luke beat him to the punch anyway.

"Jade, you shouldn't be here. If the police…"

She pulled back to look her husband in the eyes and took a deep breath. "Bela has asked to see me." She whispered, feeling his surprise and anger through their bond.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just received the message from his lawyer. It didn't give specifics. Just said that he needed to talk to me and very soon."

* * *

Somehow her steps had brought her to the end of Industrial Row. There was no trail and she was trying very hard to keep her composure right now. She hadn't felt him in the force in a long time and tried not to think that it could be because he was dead. He couldn't be dead. She needed him too much. Karissa took a deep breath and centered herself. He was here somewhere, she just needed to find out where.

"Think Fel." She told herself quietly. "Where would someone take him." She scanned the buildings around her and started to move when her comm twittered. Not taking her eyes off the buildings she reached down and answered it.

"Fel."

"Where you at?" Micha's breathless voice came over the unit.

"End of Industrial Row. Where are you?"

"Stay there. I'm coming to you." He said, dropping the call and leaving her frowning at the place where his image had just been. She reached out and felt his presence growing closer to her. The sound of a speeder caught her attention and she turned to see one coming down the deserted street at a rapid pace. Micah stopped the machine in the middle of the road and hopped out.

"Have you found anything?" He asked as he finished strapping a second blaster to his thigh.

"No. I just got here when you had called."

"I'm assuming you can't feel him." He told her as he settled next to her. She could feel the turmoil of his emotions as he tried to keep them it together. He was pretty together for someone whose best friend had been kidnapped by a psycho that they now had a name for but still knew nothing about and who had just been betrayed by the person he loved. Later he would need to talk, but right now they were both focused on getting Jarik back.

Karissa shook her head at his question. Closing her eyes, she reached out to the buildings around her. This area was devoid of life. It had been deserted for about 10 years after a stricter set of pollution laws had been enacted and the corporations hadn't wanted to update their buildings.

"One of the victims was found out here." Micah whispered, not meaning to interrupt her concentration.

"That could be good." She responded, enlarging her search area and finding nothing.

"This could be his home turf." He added.

"I can't even find a kriffing bug here." She said disgruntled, as she started to cut off her senses. Then she stopped, grabbing Micah's arm in a painful grip.

"What?"

"There's a void." She said, her arm lifting to point to their right. "Over there, under the building."

* * *

Jade sat nervously in her living room as she waited for Bela's call. Seena had taken the children so she could be alone. Jared stood to her left, his arms crossed in front of him. He had insisted on staying while she talked to her former husband and she hadn't argued. It relaxed her at least a little.

Suddenly a chime sounded in the room and she came face to face with the man she had once loved. He had aged quite a bit since the last time she had seen him. His hair was grey now and longer than he'd probably ever worn it. He still had the same chiseled jaw and cold eyes that she at one time had found attractive, but now they didn't move her.

"Bela." She said simply, keeping her curiosity in check.

"You still look exquisite Jade." He told her quietly, a small smile coming to his face.

"Surely you didn't call me to comment on how well I've aged."

"No. Unfortunately I didn't."

"Then what do you want?"

"I had a visitor yesterday."

"And I should care--why?"

"An old friend came to see me. He told me a story I think you'll be very interested in."

* * *

"So let me guess." Jarik said. "My father wronged you somehow. You had family on Carrida?"

"No." Cutter offered, his face betraying nothing.

"You had him as a teacher and he yelled at you once?" Jarik said, quickly becoming tired of this game.

"He has nothing to teach me, so that would not be the answer either."

"Actually, my dad could teach you a few things about how to treat a woman." Jarik mumbled, wincing when the two men holding him squeezed his arms further behind his back. "Then what the kriff is your problem?" That earned him two more punches to his gut. Tasting blood, Jarik somehow managed to fight off the haze of pain that was trying to take a hold of him.

"My problem is that your father is alive."

Jarik's gaze shot up, confusion and anger mixed on it.

"But that will soon be fixed." He added, delivering a blow to Jarik's jaw that drove him backwards into the men holding him. "When he comes for you I can correct the error."

* * *

"Who came to see you, Bela?" Jade asked, feeling Jared's apprehension mix with her own.

"Edward."

"He's still alive?" Jared spoke before he could stop himself.

"Yes Obath, he's still alive. You're still shadowing senators I see."

"What did he want?" Jade said quickly before the two men started their verbal tirade against each other.

"To brag about his protégé."

"His protégé? Bela, what the sith does this have to do with…"

"Cutter has been molded by the bastard since he was four years old for one sole purpose in life. Revenge."

* * *

As soon as Jarik could get air back in his lungs and see straight, he found a laugh work its way up his chest.

"You think you can take my father? You're crazier than I thought." He told the man, a slight smile coming to his face.

"I'm not planning on taking your father on."

"Then how the frag…"

"I plan on trading his life for yours." Then he laughed. "Well, I should say I did plan on that."

* * *

"Cutter?"

"Yes, he's the lovely serial killer that's been terrorizing Coruscant for the last two years. Twenty-four years old, sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Quite built from what I understand, if Edward is to be trusted with such mundane facts."

Jade stared at the former senator, confused. "He told you this?"

"Volunteered it freely. Like I said, he was here to brag."

"I still don't understand what this has to do with me."

Bela paused, looking as if he was composing himself for the next revelation. His eyes finally met hers and he swallowed visibly.

"He has your son. And he's going to trade his life for your husband's."


	26. Chapter 26

-1!!

**Chapter 26 **

They stood at the top of the darkened stairwell, listening for any indication they were going in the right direction.

"The void is strongest here." She told him as she started to walk down the stairs. Micah grabbed her arm and she looked back at him.

"Promise me you'll be careful when we go down there." He said, his eyes searching hers. "I can't carry you both out if you're injured and you will be my first choice if that happens."

Karissa nodded and he let her go, following her into the darkness.

!!

"Who is he? Where did Edward find him?" Jade asked, her mind trying to figure out where this was going.

Bela sighed, running a hand over his head. He suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"The boy had no father figure so Edward thought he could step in and mold the boy into the psycho he's become. His mother had no idea what was going on, until it was too late. The bastard tried to twist Cutter's sister too, but it didn't work. Instead, Cutter broke the girl down and essentially forced her to help him."

There was something that Jared was missing. It was right there, but he couldn't grasp it solidly in his head. He was standing behind Jade now, since there was no need to keep his presence quiet anymore. Frowning, he tried to concentrate on the conversation again, hoping Bela would give them a clue as to what the hell was going on.

"Sister? Bela, I'm sorry but you're not being very clear." Jade said as she felt a headache coming on. Kyp reached out to her and she closed her eyes, allowing his love to wash over her. She heard Jared gasp next to her and turned to him, confusion in her face.

"Sari." He whispered, his eyes widening when Bela's head dropped into his chest. She had Bela's face and while their eyes might be a different color, they could have been duplicates in every other way. Even her walk was like his.

"Yes. Sari is his sister. Cutter threatened their mother if she didn't help him. Apparently she refused and he killed her anyway." He added the last part in a whisper. Clearing his throat, he looked back up and Jared swore he looked like a different man. Broken after his revelation.

"Jade, Cutter and Sari are my children." He whispered.

!!

"You can plan on trading all you want, but he doesn't work like that."

"I don't actually expect him to come." Cutter told him, a small sly smile transforming his face.

"What?"

"That was Edward's plan. Extremely flawed if you ask me. So I made my own up. You see, when my message is delivered to the temple he will rush here to try and rescue you. But as soon as his feet leave the sanctuary of the Jedi temple, he'll be arrested for the murder of those women."

"He didn't kill those women, you did!!"

"That's not what the evidence says. And the last thing I want is for him to die. I want him to rot in jail, like my father."

"Your father?"

"Surely your parents told you about your mother's first husband." He said, punching Jarik in the stomach again. Blood came to his mouth and Jarik spat it out at Cutter's feet. "How your mother gave herself to your father even though she was still married. How they connived to frame my father for Master Durron's illicit activities. How they sent my father to prison so they could be together." He punched Jarik with each statement, not restricting his blows to one spot.

The young Jedi took several breaths, gritting his teeth against the pain and finally looked up at the psycho standing in front of him.

"You know. I'm getting really sick of you hitting me. If you wanna fight, then lets fight. Hitting someone who can't fight back isn't exactly fair."

"No, it's not. But then, I'm not going for fair. I'm going for revenge." He sneered, his hand reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wicked looking vibroblade. Somehow Jarik kept his calm, knowing he would need his wits over the next few seconds.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you yet. You have to be conscious when I contact your father."

!!

The musty smell of the duracrete walls tickled her throat as she and Micah walked down the darkened hallway. The glowrod didn't illuminate anything more than a meter in front of them, so they had to go slow. Thankfully, they hadn't reached the void where she assumed Jarik was being held. So no one could sneak up on them for now.

Dripping water echoed down the hallway, and the cold was seeping through her robes as they moved. She tried not to think of how cold Jarik might be. How injured he was. There had been a small amount of blood on the floor of his speeder but the absence of volume had given her a little hope. Hope that he was still alive.

The void wasn't very far in front of them now and she found her heart start to beat faster. Whether in anticipation or fear she wasn't sure. She just knew that if Jarik wasn't ok, there was going to be hell to pay.

!!

In. Out. In. Out.

He concentrated on getting the air through his battered chest. His nose was broken for sure, along with a few ribs but the rest was just pain from the beating he was getting. With the ysalamari in the room, there was little chance anyone would be able to find him, so he was on his own. Kissa would kill him if he upped and died on her. He smiled, ignoring the slight pain that emanated from his busted lip at the action. He wasn't about to die here. Karissa was much too important for him to give up now.

They had sat him in the chair finally. Stun cuffs, painfully tightened, held his arms in place as he watched them prepare to call his dad. He tried to think of a way to warn him to stay away, but couldn't come up with anything. The problem was he knew his father would rush out to save him, no matter what the cost to himself.

"What did you kill them with?" Jarik asked suddenly, knowing that if he kept him talking he would buy himself some more time.

"Who, the women?" Jarik nodded at him and he laughed.

"It wasn't a lightsaber, like everyone thinks. Though that would have been nice. I modified a F-187 fusioncutter so that the beam was the same width as a lightsaber and changed the color to match your father's weapon as much as possible. Only a trained eye would have been able to notice the difference from a distance."

The two Wookie wanna-be's stood be hind him like sentinals as he watched Cutter walk over to stand in front of him. The young man started to motion for the projector to be turned on, then stopped. Turning he fisted a handful of Jarik's hair and forced their eyes to meet.

"No words are to leave your mouth. I can have my revenge by killing you as he watches just as easily." Cutter whispered, slapping the side of Jarik's face in jest. He glared at the man's back and settled himself in for a wait.

!!

Kyp stood at the window in Luke's office, tuning out the conversation behind him. It had been over an hour and Jade still hadn't called. She should be done by now. Luke's comm station went off, effectively ending any conversation in the room. Kyp turned slightly to watch as his friend walked over and then felt his stomach turn when it turned on.

"Greetings Master Skywalker. I have a message for Durron." The man said, sarcasm dripping off his greeting. Luke backed up and let Kyp come into the man's line of sight.

"Ah, Master Durron. It's a pleasure to finally get to talk to you in person."

"Can I help you?" Kyp asked, confused.

"Help me? Why, yes. I believe you can. I have something that belongs to you that I think you might be interested in getting back."

Before Kyp could answer, Cutter moved to the side to expose Jarik to everyone's view. He felt his world tilt as he saw his son look up and meet his gaze. His face was littered with bruises and blood had started to seep from his busted lip.

"Jarik." He whispered shakily.

"I see you two know each other." Cutter taunted off screen.

"What do you want?" Kyp asked, his hands balled into fists at his side. Luke watched as his friend suddenly became a maelstrom in the force. He'd seen Kyp like this before and it wasn't pretty.

"You for your son. I have no use for him, but you I have plans for."

"Where?" Kyp asked before anyone could stop him. Cutter recited an address to him and Kyp nodded, agreeing to meet.

"Just you. No one else."

"Fine." He said, then closed his eyes when the connection was severed. The need to hit something was intense right now and he felt Jade reach out to him. She was on her way here, but could he wait? Could Jarik?

"Kyp, you can't go."

"I have to go." He said, deceptively calm.

"The second you leave the temple they will arrest you. Ajani has a team out there right now, waiting. You have to wait until they clear you."

"I can't leave him there!" He screamed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Jaina felt her daughter's presence spike and she reached out, grabbing Jag's hand when she did so.

"You don't have to." She whispered as everyone's head whipped to her. Her eyes met Kyp's as she looked up and she smiled sadly. "Karissa and Micah are already there."

!!

He concentrated on his breathing again. Visualizing the air moving in and out of his lungs. It was the closest to meditating he was going to get right now. The call had ended a few minutes ago and his captors were running around getting things situated, leaving him forgotten. He flexed his hands a few times, trying to get the blood flowing back into them.

Hearing someone come up behind him, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look. A hand cuffed him upside the head and he bit back a frustrated yell. Suddenly, his hands were free and he moved to take the man down, but didn't get far. He had been sitting in the chair for too long and his legs weren't cooperating. The ground rushed up to him and he managed to get his arms under him, his elbows taking the brunt of the fall.

"I thought Jedi were graceful creatures?" Cutter teased as he walked towards him. Jarik looked up and glared. "Take him in the room." Cutter instructed his man and Jarik felt a hand painfully grip his arm, pulling him up.

The way Cutter had said 'the room' sounded a little too ominous for Jarik's liking. He heard the chair scraping the floor behind him as he was practically dragged into a darkened side room. Blinding light filled his eyes and made him wince for a moment before they adjusted. He almost wished they hadn't. Holos filled the room, practically every spare centimeter covered with pictures of the dead women before they had been murdered. But it was the pictures directly in front of him that worried him the most. They were of Karissa. A painful pressure started in his chest as he was shoved down into the chair and his arms wrenched behind him again

"Do you like?" Cutter asked him, as he came around into his line of sight. "These were taken just in the last year. I never originally intended to become quite so obsessed with her, but I'm sure you of all people can't blame me. Exquisite, isn't she?" He asked, picking up a face shot and running a finger along her face. Jarik took a deep breath, trying to calm the rage coursing through him. He vaguely registered one of the men bringing an ysalamari into the room and setting it to his right. . The door had shut behind him after the man had brought the animal in but he knew he wasn't alone. Silence was the only sound, other than his breathing and the other man's.

"I would have had her too, if you hadn't interupted me that night. Though I'm glad you did. I never wanted to kill her. I wanted to keep her for myself."

"You wouldn't have been able to handle her." Jarik shot back, his eyes never leaving the holos.

"Ah, but that's the fun part isn't it. She wouldn't have gone meekly." Cutter told him as Jarik hazily registered the sound of blaster fire coming to his ears. "It's much better when they fight, and she's definitely a fighter. How is she?"

Jarik looked up at the man, not sure what he had just asked. "How is she?"

"In bed. I would imagine she's as unbridled as she is in the rest of her life." The man said, a smirk coming to his face. Rage filled Jarik and he fought against his bonds. There was no way this man was going to touch Karissa.

"Don't know, huh? Figures. You're too goody goody for your own good Durron. You could have had her before you died." Sighing, Cutter returned the holo he had been staring at to its shelf and turned to face him. "Now, I believe it's time to deal with you." He said, a smile on his face. "Don't worry." Cutter's arm came up, digging his blaster into Jarik's stomach. "I'll take good care of her."

For a second, Jarik wondered if the blaster had malfunctioned. Then he looked down and the pain kicked in. Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced the air in and out of his lungs. His whole body was on fire as he heard the door close behind him the lock clicking into place. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that his blood was starting to coat the floor under him. Blaster wounds weren't usually fatal, unless they were at close range. The only way Cutter could have made it closer was to have climbed down his throat and shot it off in his stomach.

The pain came in waves at first as his body was still in shock. Eventually, he felt like one big ball of nerves as the pain spiked with every beat of his heart. Breathing became harder and he fought to stay awake. Someone would find him. He had to believe that. There was still so much to do. He wanted to become a master like his dad. He still had to be knighted. He wanted to marry Kissa and have a ton of kids but first he had to tell her he loved her. Black started to creep in on the edge of his vision and he nearly cried. It wasn't supposed to end like this. He needed to stay and take care of her.

He lifted his eyes up and focused on a picture in front of him. She looked so happy and carefree in it. His death would devastate her. The cold started to crawl up his limbs toward his torso and he felt one tear slip past his defenses.

"I'm sorry Kissa." He whispered, then fell into the darkness.

!!

They ran into the room, not caring who was in it. Both had the same goal; to find their friend. Their entrance had surprised the occupants, but it didn't take long for the opposition to draw their blasters and fire in their direction. Karissa kept as much distance as she could between herself and the other end of the room. She was just outside the bubble the ysalamari were projecting so she could still touch the force thankfully. Micah had opted for cover to her right, trusting her to not get herself killed while they were down here.

A couple of Cutter's thugs were cut down and Micah crouched down behind the crate as he slapped in another power pack to his blaster. Splinters flew into the air as someone shot at his hiding place and he bit back a curse. He hadn't seen Jarik in the room when they had entered, but he hadn't really been paying attention either. Flipping on the headset he wore, he peaked around the side of the crate to Karissa.

"You there?"

"No, I'm on a beach getting a tan right now. What do you want?" She bit back, bringing a smile to his face.

"You see Jarik?" He asked as he rose up and got off a handful of shots before falling back down.

"No. He's not in the room. I see those freaking animals though."

"Where?" Micah asked, repeating his earlier movements.

"Two to your right and three to your left."

"That's all?"

"Micah…"

"Humor me Kissa." He told her, hearing more shots thud into the crate at his back. "Think you can cover me while I take them out?"

"The ysalamari?"

"Yeah." Karissa didn't answer him right away so he poked his head up over the top of the box and nearly laughed. She was slowly making her way over to stand in front of him and while they were distracted he searched for his targets. The ones on the right he spied easily, since they were out in the open. Searching for the ones on the left, he only located two.

"Kissa, I only found two on the left."

"I think the other one is behind that door. If you can get the rest I can take care of the numnuts and the last one should be easy."

"I think I can do that." He said, a smile coming to his face. Pulling his holdout blaster out of his boot he checked the power level then took a deep breath.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Yeah, just don't let me get shot." He didn't have to look at her to know she was smirking at him. Quickly he stood up and held his arms out at an angle, shooting both blasters simultaneously. He'd been around lightsabers his whole life, his parents being such close friends with Jedi but it never ceased to captivate him when he saw them at work. Though most of his brain was concentrating on his shots, he could still see Karissa effortlessly batting away the blasts being tossed at them. When the last animal died, he felt a wind race through the room towards the men firing at them.

"Sucks to be you guys." He mumbled as he watched every one of them drop to the floor. "Did you kill them?"

"Don't tempt me." She growled when he moved to stand beside her. Their heads whipped around as they heard a muffled blaster shot and the door to their left opened. Cutter ducked into the room and casually looked around at the mess as he locked the door. Karissa heard him chuckle as he looked up towards them. A shiver ran down her back at the look he gave her; admiration mixed with lust.

"Impressive my dear. I knew you were powerful, but I don't believe I gave you enough credit." He commented as he walked closer, the smile not leaving his face.

"Where's Jarik?" She asked, gripping her still lit weapon tightly in her left hand.

"He's indisposed right now. But I'll be sure to give him a message if you'd like to pass one on." The big blonde snarked as he stopped less than a meter from her. She could feel Micah coiled and ready to strike next to her, but he didn't move. In a flash, she brought her saber up to Cutter's neck just close enough that he could feel the heat. His smile deepened in response.

"You have no idea how much that turns me on." He said, causing Micah to gag behind her.

"You have no idea how much I don't care." Karissa retorted, her patience thinning. And Force knows she didn't have much to begin with. "Where's Jarik?" She repeated through clenched teeth.

Cutter looked down at something in his hand, seemingly oblivious to the blade at his throat. Her gaze darted down quickly to see what he was looking at and she almost whimpered. His hand held Jarik's lightsaber with streaks of blood on it and it took everything in her to not give into the anger coursing through her.

"I don't think he'll be needing it anymore." He said quietly as he stepped back and ignited the blade. She snapped then, striking out at him. He blocked her easily, but she wasn't making concise hits. She was blindly swinging, hoping to hit him.

"Karissa, Focus!" Micah yelled at her, watching as she jerked at his voice. He saw her expression slip into determination and almost smiled before he felt a pain in his right shoulder. "Sith." He yelled, falling back against the wall and palming the wound. A blaster floated in front of him, then fell to the ground quickly. It wasn't bad, but it stung like hell. Having dropped his own blaster he reached down for it but found he couldn't move. His eyes darted up to see a grin on Cutter's face. Bastard was holding him against the wall! He jerked trying to free himself, but knew he wouldn't be able to break the hold. Micah grimaced as he was forced to watch Karissa fight for all their lives.

!!

Micah's voice had brought her back to reality and centered her. Now, she wasn't just mad she was unwavering. She had to defeat this psycho and find Jarik. Focusing on her opponent she delved deeply into the force, her swings becoming more efficient and her blows hitting more accurately. A grunt sounded from Cutter and she resisted the urge to smile. He was adequate, but definitely not well trained. Not like she had been.

After a few minutes, she felt him tire in the force while she felt renewed with every swing. He brought his arm up to swing down at her and his speed was a fraction slower, allowing her a shot before he completed. The smell of burnt flesh singed her nose as she blocked his next shot, but the damage was done. The big man didn't have the stamina to keep up with her and it was only a matter of time before she defeated him.

She blocked another shot, then quickly brought her saber back around and up, slicing a wound open on his arm. He grimaced, then lunged at her. As she threw herself to the opposite side, her saber tore through the left side of his abdomen causing him to roar in pain. He landed on hands and knees, his breathing labored. Karissa stood there, waiting for him to make a move her own breathing close to normal. She felt his defeat in the force and smiled calling Jarik's saber to her hand from where he had dropped it.

A thud caught her attention and she turned slightly to see Micah sitting uncomfortably against the wall.

"You ok?" She asked walking over to him.

"Yeah. He just singed me earlier. Hurts like hell though." He told her as she helped him to stand. Micah frowned and walked over to Cutter, kicking him to his side and putting his foot on the man's uninjured side and pushing.

"Where's Jarik?" He repeated Karissa's earlier question, not being near as nice as she had. The laugh that escaped the man did not sit well with either of them.

"He's probably dead by now. I shot him shortly before you walked in. I'll be surprised if his blood isn't already cold." He spat. Micah reared back and punched the man causing his head to connect with the duracrete floor and knocking him cold.

"Not one of my better ideas." He mumbled as he rubbed his knuckles and they both looked up at the door across from them. Without speaking, they walked as one towards it, Karissa gasping as the force was ripped from her. Her step faltered slightly but she just ignited her saber again and plunged it into the door controls. A second later the door slid open and Micah ran in ahead of her. She heard a blaster bolt before she had stepped fully through the doorway and felt the force rush over her again.

A lone chair stood in the middle of the room, the body sitting in it slumped lightly and turned away from her.

"Jarik." She whispered, feeling his life force becoming weaker, even in the few seconds she had touched him. "No." She said frantically as she ran towards him. Micah was calling her name, but she didn't register it consciously. A shriek escaped her as she rounded the chair to see his face. His skin was pale, a pool of blood had gathered at his feet that she hadn't noticed when first seeing him. The bruises on his face only made her anxiety spike as she kneeled down in front of him.

"Micah!" She screamed, her hands ripping open Jarik's shirt to see how bad the wound was. Micah came over and cursed hotly when he saw Jarik.

"Is he alive?" He asked, moving behind his friend to release his hands.

"Barely." She breathed, her hand pushing against his stomach to stop the blood flow. Her mind didn't consciously register that she was kneeling in the puddle of blood in front of him. If it had, she would have lost it.

"Shavit! Kissa, I need your saber." He said, his hand already waiting for the item before he had finished asking. Without looking, she handed it over, laying it in his outstretched palm.

She hadn't realized she was biting her lip until she tasted the blood on her tongue. Soothing the self-inflicted injury she was about to ask Micah what the hold up was, when Jarik sagged forward slightly before he could catch him. They slowly moved him to the floor and she nearly cried. He kept slipping from her bond.

Micah pulled his comm off his belt with one hand as he took his vest off with the other and handed it to her. Her hands moved to cover the wound with the article of clothing and reapplied the pressure. She heard Micah curse again and looked up at him.

"I can't get a signal down here." He practically moaned, frustration thick in his voice. "Kissa, I have to go and get help." He added, their eyes meeting. She swallowed and nodded, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fought back the tears. Micah leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then bolted out of the room at a dead sprint.

Karissa brought her gaze back down to Jarik and a sob escaped her throat. He had to make it. He had to. She took off her outer robe, thankful she wore a shirt underneath it and tore the tunic into strips. When she finished she took them and wound them around Jarik's stomach, tying the ends together to apply pressure to Micah's vest and slow the blood flow again. Having finished that, Karissa straddled his chest and placed a palm on either side of his head, leaning down to touch her forehead to his.

Closing her eyes, she felt the tears slip past as she reached out and grabbed onto his life force. She couldn't heal him, but she sure as hell could keep him from leaving her. Pouring everything she had into their bond, she felt him get stronger for a few seconds before he faded again. Desperation fueled her as she reached even deeper in the Force, pulling every bit she could to her as she held on to him. Refusing to let her other half desert her.

!!


	27. Chapter 27

-1!!

**Chapter 27 **

Micah kicked the door open at the top of the steps and nearly yelped in surprise as someone grabbed his shoulders. It took him a few seconds to realize he was looking at Kyp.

"You ok?" Kyp asked, referring to the blood drying on his shoulder.

"Yeah. It's just a glancing shot." He got out as he gulped air into his lungs. "Jarik needs help." Micah said, meeting Kyp's eyes. He saw the fear that filled the master's eyes, then watched as he quickly got it under control.

Kyp nodded and pushed the young man down onto a crate not far from them. "Stay here. The rest are right behind us." He told him, waiting long enough for Micah's nod, before he, Jag, Luke and Jaina, along with the medic team, bounded down into the darkened staircase.

!!

They made it to the room in record time. Karissa's fear guided them and Jaina tried to keep the bile in her stomach as she cataloged the feelings coming from her daughter. She was terrified but determined. They turned a corner and Jaina pushed Kyp aside, her legs pumping as she pushed herself harder to get to Karissa. She burst through the outer room and didn't even glance at the bodies strewn throughout it.

When she made it to the smaller room, she gasped and held onto a stack of crates for support. She heard the rest of them come in behind her but didn't hear anything they said. Jaina couldn't tell where Jarik started and Karissa ended in the force. Their life signatures were so closely melded together she was afraid to touch them. The medics came into the room behind her and she could only stand there and watch as Luke and Kyp moved toward the kids.

"_Karissa, you need to let him go, honey_." Karissa jolted slightly as she heard Luke's voice in her head.

"_I can't. He'll die_."

"_Kyp's here. He won't let anything happen to him_."

She felt Kyp's hand on her arm and was torn. Keeping him alive had drained her but she didn't want to let go. She couldn't lose him. Brushing herself over Jarik's presence, she reluctantly started to separate from him. Jarik's spirit cried out weakly as she moved, but Kyp stepped in to reassure him that he wasn't alone.

Shakily, she fell to her right and Luke was there to catch her. She watched as Kyp kneeled next to his son's head and spoke quietly to him. The only sound she heard was her own blood rushing in her ears. Her world had become a vacuum where the only thing she registered was the slow rise and fall of Jarik's chest. Conscious brain function ceased for her as Luke pulled her close and whispered something to her. Sucking air into her lungs, she bawled as he held her to his chest.

!!

"It's ok, Karissa. You did wonderfully honey." He told her softly as she finally let go of the emotions she was holding and sobbed.

Kyp stabilized his son's signature and Luke watched helplessly as the medics strapped Jarik down and hurriedly left the warehouse with Kyp in tow. Even though he was stabilized, he still needed a bacta tank as soon as possible. Karissa was in no shape to do anything, so she sat there clinging to her uncle and feeling a void where Jarik had just resided in her soul. He wasn't dead, she knew that. But after being so tightly wound around each other, his absence was worse than a physical wound to her.

All Jaina wanted to do was hold Karissa, but she knew that Luke had things under control right now. She settled for her husband. Relief crashed over her that her daughter was safe, but it was quickly replaced by dread. Jarik hadn't looked good, and when Karissa had separated from him, his signature had been faint. She buried her face in Jag's chest and cried silently for the boy who had always been like a son to her and for her daughter's pain that beat at her own composure.

!!

Micah hadn't stayed put for very long. A few minutes after Kyp had disappeared down the stairwell, he had started to follow when he heard the sound of voices. Corran, Zekk and Ben appeared in the doorway to the warehouse seeming surprised to see him.

"Micah…"

"They went ahead and went down. Uncle Kyp told me to sit. I was just going back down." He told them standing and swaying slightly. Ben put his hand on the young man's shoulder and Micah felt it cool instantly. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes as he felt a twitch in his shoulder and Ben lifted his head.

"That should hold you over until you can get it looked at."

"Thanks."

"Kyp's on his way up." Corran said suddenly, giving Micah the distraction he needed to bolt back down the staircase before they could stop him.

"Wonder where he gets that from?" Zekk joked as they waited for Kyp to appear.

!!

He kept his pace to a brisk jog. Ben had stopped the bleeding, but he hadn't fixed his shoulder completely and it was throbbing a little. He rounded a corner when his steps halted and he frowned. Kyp looked up and nodded to him, patting his shoulder as they walked by. Micah glanced at Jarik, his chest tightening painfully.

"Where's Karissa?" He said suddenly, realizing she wasn't there.

"They're still in the room." Kyp offered, his steps never slowing. Micah didn't waste time with goodbye as he started his trek down the hall again.

!!

Her sobs had lessened, but she didn't have the energy to move. She barely had the energy to stay awake right now.

"We should probably get moving." Luke announced to Jaina and Jag. "The rest of them are upstairs and they can come down and baby-sit the prisoners until Ajani gets here."

Jaina sniffed and pulled away from Jag and they all turned when footsteps sounded in the outside room. Micah jogged over to them and stopped to catch his breath. He was only concerned with Karissa though. Their eyes met and she finally found the strength to move. Slowly she got up and walked over to him, stumbling when she got close, but she knew he would catch her. He cradled her head to his shoulder as she took a shuddering breath.

"He'll be alright." He whispered, feeling her grip tighten on him. "He's not gonna leave you." She didn't answer but he really hadn't expected her to. Sighing, he bent down to put his arm under her knees and picked her up.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to get out of here." He told them, a small smile on his face. Luke nodded and Micah turned to walk back out into the hallway. They had been walking for a minute when he turned a corner instead of going straight.

"Micah, where…" Jaina started before he stopped and turned around.

"There's a lift this way."

"How do you know that?" Jag asked. The young man's eyes simply looked upward and they all transferred their gazes to the sign. Luke chuckled.

"You sure it still works?"

"Yep." Micah said as he turned and continued his walking. "I checked it on my way back down. I'm not walking up those sithing steps again."

!!


	28. Chapter 28

-1!!

**Chapter 28 **

Kyp sat next to Jarik in the medical transport and watched as his son fought for every breath. He squeezed Jarik's hand and closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. There wasn't time to lose it right now. He couldn't ever remember being so scared in his entire life. Seeing his son's prone form when he had walked into that room and the blood…A shudder worked down his back and he forced the thoughts away. He would be okay. Karissa had done an excellent job of keeping his spirit secure, now it was up to Tekli to fix his body.

The Jedi healer was waiting with her apprentice at the temple when they arrived. She seamlessly took over Jarik's care and Kyp stood in the hallway watching a team take his son into one of the medical suites.

He registered on some level that a few people walked by him and the various sounds in the hallway, but everything had faded into the background as he tried not to think about how close he had come to losing his son.

"Kyp?" A soft voice brought his head around and he gazed on his beautiful wife, not registering her for a minute. Swallowing visibly, he pulled her to him and buried his head into her neck, finally letting the tears flow. Jade rubbed one hand up and down his back as the other wrapped around his shoulders as they shook with his pent up emotion.

This was how Jag and Jaina found them when they finally arrived. They had stopped by to pick up the other kids at the apartment and Jaina felt Rika's hand squeeze hers as she watched her parents. Jared walked behind them with the rest of the kids and Seena. It took a minute for Kyp and Jade to realize they had an audience. Stepping back from his wife, Kyp took a moment to compose himself before he turned around. Jade walked over and silently thanked the Fels as she took Galven's hand and placed a kiss on the top of his head. Rika left Jaina's side, wrapping her arms around her mother's waist and Galven used the distraction to study his dad.

Uncle Jag had told them what had happened to Jarik on the way over, leaving out the details but Galven could pretty much figure those out. From the emotions coming through from the Fels and his parents, he knew things were critical for his brother. While his mom was distracted, he walked over to Kyp.

"Dad?" Kyp turned around and gave him a small smile, reaching out to ruffle his hair and then pull him into a hug.

"Where's Kissa and Micah?" Jade asked after they had all settled into a waiting room after the greetings were finished.

"Micah's driving her here. I have a feeling they probably needed to talk." Jag offered as Luke walked in the door.

"Anything yet?" The grandmaster asked as he took a seat next to Jaina.

"No." Jade told him, patting Galven's hand absently as it laid in her own on her lap. Rika was sitting on Kyp's lap, quietly leaning against his chest.

"What happened with Bela, Jade?" Jaina asked a little while later and everyone turned to look at the senator. She shared a quick look with Jared and opened her mouth to speak when Karissa and Micah walked into the room. Grateful for the distraction, Jade stood up and went over to embrace the young woman.

"I can't thank you enough, sweetie." She whispered into the girl's hair and felt Karissa squeeze her arms where they rested around her waist.

"Micah? You need to have someone look at that shoulder." Luke threw out to the boy, knowing he wouldn't have someone look at it unless he was pushed to do so.

"I'm fine, Ben fixed it a little." He said quietly, not moving from Karissa's side.

"Honey, you really should…"

"Come on, dork." Karissa said as she extracted herself from Jade's arms. Grabbing her friend's hand she pulled him towards the doors that led back into the medical suite and searched for a nurse. She needed a distraction anyway and if her mom or dad got a hold of her she was going to lose it again. They found Tekli's apprentice standing just inside the door and the young woman looked up and smiled at them when they stopped in front of her.

"Looks like you need to be cleaned up a little there, Mr. Obath." Ava said as she walked over to one of the exam tables. Micah and Karissa followed without answering. Micah jumped up on the table and took his shirt off, wincing when he had to peel it off his injured shoulder. The blood had dried it to his skin a long time ago. He sat there silently as Ava cleaned his wound and then applied a patch to it.

"It's not too deep so you shouldn't need a bacta dip. Plus, girls like scars on boys." She joked, offering him a wink. Somehow Micah managed to smile at her comment and she finished dressing his wound.

"How's Jarik?" Karissa managed to croak out and felt a little better when the healer gave her a smile.

"He's fine. We put him into bacta a few minutes ago. I was just coming out to tell his family when you walked in." She told them as she turned to dispose of the trash. Ava reached into a cabinet and removed a shirt for Micah. "Here, unless you're really attached to the other shirt I'll just take it and dispose of it. I don't think Sari wants all the girls oogling you while you're here." She teased as she turned around to dispose of his ruined shirt. Thankfully she didn't see him flinch at the mention of Sari's name. Karissa did however. She hopped up on the table next to him as he put the clean shirt on. They sat there for a minute before one of them spoke.

"You ok?" He asked, stealing a glance at her and seeing her sigh.

"Yeah. You?"

"I will be."

"Micah…"

He stopped her by pulling her closer and resting his head on hers. "I'll be fine Kissa." Micah assured her, not feeling anything close to fine at the moment.

!!

Tekli and Ava walked out into the waiting room and all eyes went to them. Ben and Zekk had joined the group after Micah and Karissa had disappeared into the suite, having turned over the bad guys to Ajani.

"We put him in a tank about 20 minutes ago. He's going to be fine, but it will take a few dips until he's close to 100 again." Tekli told the group and smiled when she felt the collective sigh in the force from everyone.

"When can we see him?" Jade asked.

"He should be in there for about two hours or so. Then we'll take him out and check his progress and go from there. I'll let you know as soon as he's available for visitors."

Kyp stood and stretched, feeling a weight off his chest for the first time in days. He was still worried about Jarik, but now that he knew his son would survive it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Scratching his head he turned back around and caught Jade's eyes.

"We need to talk, don't we?" She nodded and he sighed.

"How about everyone head to the big conference room and I'll let Tekli know to contact us there." Luke offered, as he stood up and started to leave the room.

"I'll call Myri. She's going to want to hear what Bela told me." Jade offered.

!!

Ajani stood on the other side of the one way glass and frowned. They had patched the kid up enough so that he wouldn't keel over or pass out during an interrogation. The man had remained tight-lipped though. He sat staring straight ahead, barely blinking. Rubbing his head he sighed and heard the door open behind him.

"Jade just called."

"Yeah?" He asked, not turning to face Myri. She walked up to stand next to him joining in his perusal of the man.

"She needs us to come to the temple. Apparently we want to hear what Bela told her."

"Does she know we taped the damn conversation?" He asked, reaching over and taking her hand in his.

"Yes, but I think she needs to talk right now." Myri added quietly and he finally did turn towards her.

"How's Jarik?"

"He's in bacta right now, but they said he'll be fine."

"Then let's go have a visit." He said, leaning down to kiss her temple.

!!

Karissa and Micah stayed to the back of the group as they made their way to the conference room. He waited until everyone was thoroughly distracted and stopped his friend.

"Micah what…"

"Go." He told her, looking back over his shoulder to make sure no one had noticed them stopping. "We'll be busy for at least an hour. You can go and sit with him for a while."

Karissa didn't say anything, but he could see her eyes getting glassy. She hugged her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek in thanks. When he set her back down, she turned to walk back down the hall away from the others. Micah watched her until she turned a corner than ran to catch up with the group.

!!

It was relatively easy to find her way to him. She had been in the medical ward of the temple too many times when she was a kid. One of the three of them was always getting hurt. Plus, all she had to do was follow his signature, which was much stronger now. She bit her lip when she walked into the room where his bacta tank was. The pink-tinted liquid swirled around him as he bobbed in the healing fluid. The angry red wound stood out prominantly on his stomach, but the smaller injuries were almost gone. They were using the premium bacta on him, so it wouldn't take long for him to physically recover. She walked quietly over to the tank and tentatively touched her fingertips to it.

His force presence leapt when she reached out to him and she smiled. She felt him reach back and when she refocused on his face his eyes were open a little, a smile on his face.

"Hey, handsome." She whispered, placing her palms against the glass and laughing when he brought one hand up to mirror her action. A single tear slipped down her cheek and she felt his sadness and a little fear.

"I'm fine." She told him as he struggled to send her his thoughts. They were all jumbled and for a second she feared that he was more injured than they had originally thought. Then she realized what he was saying. He was worried about Cutter getting to her. Swallowing hard, she fought back a sob. He had almost died and he was worried about her. "He's in custody Jarik. He won't hurt anyone else." She whispered, knowing that he at least felt what she had said. He gave a weak thumbs-up and she watched his eyelids start to get heavy. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." He gave her a small nod and let his eyes close. Her hand drifted to her necklace and she sat down on the floor in front of the tank. She wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

!!


	29. Chapter 29

-1!!

**Chapter 29 **

Ajani's team arrived with Myri about 30 minutes later and they all settled down around the conference table. The kids had gone to play down in one of the gardens, leaving the adults free to talk. Micah moved to sit but his father stopped him.

"Micah, there's something…"

"I already know, dad." He told him, his face betraying no emotion.

"How?"

"Sari told me." Micah said as he met his father's eyes and let himself be tugged into a hug. The elder Obath said nothing as he released his son and allowed him to find his seat. He had a feeling that she hadn't told him everything.

Jade waited for everyone to settle down before she started.

"Bela had a visit from Edward two days ago." She started, thankful when no one interrupted her. "Apparently he thought he could get back at Kyp by using Cutter to frame him for the murders. So he spent the last 20 years filling the boy's head with lies about Kyp and how he had hurt his father. I'll just say it now and get it over with. Cutter is Bela's son. Edward told him that I helped Kyp frame Bela for the slave trading when Kyp was actually doing it."

"Wow." Jaina said, surprised that someone would stoop that far to get revenge.

"He made Cutter into an extremely angry young man who incidentally has access to the force. Which made him ten times worse. After Edward had gotten him nice and riled up, he told him his plan, which the boy agreed to wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, he changed the plan without Edward knowing."

"Why did they kill the women? I mean besides to frame Kyp?" Luke asked.

"They based the victim profiles on Jaina. Edward had read somewhere that Kyp was infatuated with Jaina during the war and thought, for some reason, that picking women who looked like her would make everyone think it was Kyp."

"You're kriffing kidding me." Ben said, garnering laughter from the table. Jaina, Kyp and Jag shared a smile between themselves.

"Then where did the obsession with Kissa come in?" Micah asked seriously, sobering everyone.

"I don't know. Edward didn't tell him that." Jade responded softly. "I would imagine that's something that's going to have to come from Cutter himself." She offered, shooting Ajani a glance. The big man shook his head.

"He ain't talking."

"There's another aspect of the story, too. Cutter was getting help from someone other than Edward. Bela didn't say how much help, because Edward didn't volunteer that much info on the other individual. That's something we'll have to get from them." Jared said, his eyes going to his son of their own accord. Micah looked up and nodded at his father.

Kyp felt Jade tense up next to him and he looked over at her. "Jade?" Her gaze didn't leave Micah's and he nodded at her again to just get it over with.

"Sari was the one helping Cutter." She whispered, not surprised at the shock that emanated from the group.

"Sari?" Seena whispered, glancing at her son and then her husband. Both were quiet and looking in front of them.

"Why would Sari help him? Did he threaten her?" Ajani finally spoke, Jade almost forgetting he was there.

"Yes, he did. Sari is his sister…" Jade started when Micah bolted out of his seat and left the room. Seena started to get up and go after him when Jared stopped her. He looked at Jade, motioning for her to continue then stepped out into the hall.

"For as long as Edward has been working on Cutter, he'd been working on her. She tried to resist, but…he threatened their mother about a year ago." Silence met her statement and she sighed, holding on tighter to Kyp's hand. "He went a while without pushing the issue and she rebelled again and he killed their mother. I would imagine she didn't fight him after that. But again, that's something only she can answer." Jade added quietly, feeling an intense spike of pain from Micah.

"So, she was a plant." Luke said softly, wincing when Jade nodded.

"She isn't as powerful as Cutter in the force, so he could control her to a degree. He erased her history from their planetary databank and gave her a cover story then sent her here."

"She was only ten when she got here." Ben said, his eyes widening as Jade shook her head.

"Sari was actually 13 when she arrived. They changed her age to make her seem more innocent. And since she's so small, no one would suspect anything." She corrected, shifting in her seat. "So she's actually 20 years old."

"His children." Jaina said quietly, still having trouble wrapping her head around it. "Did Bela know before?"

"No. He knew of Cutter, but he hadn't heard from Kalira since about six months after he was incarcerated. He didn't get the luxury of calls or messages. It took him almost two days to get someone to let him call me."

"The little boy that we found out about." Kyp muttered more to himself than anyone. Jade nodded and he swore. "Where did Sari come from?"

"Apparently Kalira was pregnant with Sari when Bela was sent to prison."

"I didn't know Bela had children." Myri said.

"I asked that the information be purged from his file. I didn't want people going after the little boy because of him. It wasn't something that was important to the case so they were able to do it." Jade told her, receiving a nod in return.

!!

"Micah!" Jared called after his son, surprised when the boy actually slowed down enough for him to catch up. "Son…" He never finished as Micah threw himself at him. Closing his eyes, Jared held his son as he cried.

!!

She jerked her right arm, wincing when it started to tingle. At least she could feel it now. It helped distract her from the fear that was threatening to overtake her. Her breathing became erratic as her brain remembered where she was. She hated the dark, but she hated small spaces even more. That's how Cutter had always gotten to her. She could defy him until he put her someplace dark and small. Then she lost it. She was a kriffing adult and shouldn't  
be afraid, but she couldn't help it.

Micah's face came unbidden to her mind and she leaned her head back on the wall of her prison and rapped it a couple of times. She had no right to even think about him anymore. That ship had sunk when she had lied to him. A painful twist formed in her chest and she took a deep breath to keep from sobbing. The last glimpse she'd had of him…the hurt in his eyes had almost been too much. The fact that she had put it there made it that much worse. But she knew she didn't deserve him. She never had. Frag, she'd never deserved any of them.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she realized that no one would be coming for her. Traitors weren't high on the list to be rescued.

!!

Karissa jerked awake, sleep making her thoughts hazy as she forgot where she was for a moment. Apparently she had fallen asleep in front of Jarik's bacta tank. Stretching, she looked up and almost choked when she found it empty. She moved to her feet quickly and turned to leave the room when Ava walked in.

"You're awake, good. We pulled him out for a little while." She said, motioning for the young woman to follow. Stiffly Karissa did, pulling herself awake as she followed. They walked a few meters through a doorway and she resisted the urge to run to Jarik's bed when she saw him. His eyes were closed as Tekli ran a monitor over him to check his progress.

She stood back from them a little, trying to wait patiently until she could reassure herself by touching him. Her foot started to tap and Tekli smiled without looking up at her. Finally, the healer finished her work and she and Ava went to leave the room.

"He's going to be out for about an hour." She whispered then disappeared through the doorway. When Karissa turned back around, she found his eyes open and a smile on his face. Biting her bottom lip, she walked over and reached out her hand, then drew back. Chuckling lightly, Jarik grabbed it and pulled her closer.

"Hey." He uttered quietly as he brought her hand to his chest and rested it there.

"Hey." Karissa responded as a tear slipped down her cheek. She was surprised she had any left after today. "Gods, Jarik. I thought I'd lost you!!" The words finally burst from her and he frowned as he pulled her arm lightly. Karissa looked confused until he scooted over in the bed. Without hesitation she gently climbed in beside him and buried her face into his neck.

"I'm not going anywhere Kissa. I told you that." He whispered as her tears soaked the sheet covering his bare chest. Closing his eyes he placed a kiss on her head and sighed.

"When I saw you sitting in that chair…there was so much blood and you were so pale."

"Shhh. Let's not talk about it right now." He said, his hand running down her back slowly. "There will be time for that later." He felt her nod her head and he relaxed slightly. It was still too new to talk about, especially if he didn't have to. Right now, he simply wanted to enjoy her company for a while. He wasn't sure how long they lay there when he realized her breathing was even and smiled.

!!

Luke was still seated at the conference table after most of the occupants had left. Corran finished talking to Ajani and glanced over at the Grandmaster as the big man left. Sighing, the former Corsec officer walked over and sat next to his friend.

"You're trying to figure out how to fix this, aren't you?"

Luke smiled.

"Fix what?"

"Don't give me that, Skywalker. You know what I'm talking about."

"I'm thinking a lot of things right now. The most important, is how to find Edward."

"What about Sari?" Corran asked quietly.

"I don't know. This trial is going to be huge and they are going to need her I would imagine. I don't like the idea of handing over one of my students to the authorities."

"Luke, she helped a killer…"

"I know what she did, but I've never turned my back on my students regardless of their actions. I'm not sure I want to set that precedent now."

"Maybe we should talk to her first." Corran offered. Luke simply nodded.

!!

_An hour later… _

Kyp was reaching to palm the door open to Jarik's room when his comm trilled. He glanced at Jade, then reached down to answer it.

"Durron.

"Sari's gone." Luke told him, his voice sounding normal as always.

"Gone? Gone where?" Jade asked, her gaze connecting with her husband's.

"She's not in her room. When Corran and I got here…it looks like there was a struggle in the room, Kyp."

"Edward."

"That would be my thought." Luke added.

"Let us check on Jarik and I'll be right there."

"Take your time." Luke said, then hung up.

Kyp sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Kyp, if Edward has Sari…"

"I know. We have to find her. First we check on Jarik." Jade nodded and Kyp opened the door. When they walked into the room, they found both kids asleep. Tekli walked in behind them and she smiled.

"I had planned on putting him back in the tank about two hours ago, but they were both resting so comfortably I didn't want to disturb them." She offered, knowing that the Durrons wouldn't be upset. Had Jarik been in real danger she would have woken them and put him back in the tank right away. Neither parent registered the healer leaving as they walked over to the bed.

Jarik sighed and his eyes opened slowly, taking a minute to focus. He smiled widely when he saw them and held out the hand that had been resting on Kissa's back. His father grasped it firmly, as Jade walked over to the other side of the bed to give him a kiss.

"How are you feeling?" She asked after she had straightened back up.

"Tired, but not in a lot of pain. Definitely not like before." He joked, glad when a smile broke out on Jade's face. Karissa sighed in her sleep and moved slightly and Jade reached over to run her hand down the girl's hair.

"He's really locked up?" Jarik asked, worry lacing his voice.

"Yes, sweetie. He won't be bothering anyone for a long time I think."

Kyp felt him relax and frowned.

"He wanted Karissa." Jarik whispered, his arm involuntarily flexing tighter around the woman lying next to him. In her sleep, she wound her arm tighter around his stomach and he winced slightly. It wasn't a gaping wound anymore, but it was still sore.

"What?"

"He said that he started out with his victims looking like Jaina so that you would be blamed. But he saw Karissa and became obsessed with her. He had pictures of her in that room and he wanted…he wanted her. I just got in his way." Jarik finished quietly, closing his eyes when his mother squeezed his hand.

"Dad, I've never been so scared in my life." He said as he looked at Kyp. "I thought I was gonna die."

"You almost did. If it hadn't been for Karissa you would have." He responded, his voice wavering slightly. Jarik kissed the top of Karissa's head and sighed.

"Jarik, we just found out that Sari is missing." Jade told him. His eyes whipped to hers.

"Missing? From the temple?"

"Yes. Luke and Corran went to talk to her and her room was ransacked. We're heading over there after we leave here."

His son's lips thinned and his mouth twitched as he held back his anger.

"Son, I know she lied to all of you and you have every right to be mad…"

Jarik looked at Kyp, surprised.

"Believe it or not, I'm not mad at her. Just worried. Edward isn't as crazy as Cutter, but I don't trust him to not hurt her."

Jade gave him a sad smile and pushed his hair off his face.

"We'll find her, honey. You just need to worry about getting better."

!!


	30. Chapter 30

-1!!

**Chapter 30 **

Edward paced in front of her as he mumbled to himself. It had been two days since her kidnapping and each day she slipped deeper into herself. While she knew no one would come looking for her, there had been a tiny spark of hope that someone would. That spark had been doused long ago, and at this point she just wanted it to be over. She almost wished Edward would just kill her and get it over with.

"I can't believe he screwed up a simple plan." She heard him say though she'd given up long ago even paying attention to him. "Your brother is an idiot." He threw at her and continued his pacing. Sari snorted.

"Well you would know, being one yourself." She threw back at him, totally unprepared for the sting on her face. Looking up she saw him standing over her, his face red with anger and she smiled. It was so easy to get to him. If she was going to die anyway, the least she could do was distract Edward until they could find him.

"They're not coming after me, Edward. Your plan's not going to work." She told him, her eyes narrowing as he laughed.

"You underestimate your worth my dear. They'll come after you." He replied with conviction.

!!

He had just finished pulling his tunic over his head when he heard the door swoosh open.

"I'll be ready to go in a minute." He said as the shirt slithered down his chest.

"Oh please, take your time. Unless there's another show later."

Jarik turned around and gave Karissa a playful look. She stood just inside the door, leaning against the frame. The brown robes she wore may have looked plain on most people, but not on her. He finished rearranging his own robes and leaned back against the medbed.

"I think I could arrange a private viewing later, if you're up to it."

"Don't tempt me, Jarik." She told him, sass in her voice. "Besides, if we want to make the meeting we have to leave now." She reminded him, smiling when he rolled his eyes. "I thought you wanted to go?" She asked as he made his way over to her. Leaning down, he kissed her nose and slapped the door controls to open it.

"I do." He responded as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door with him. "Just not looking forward to the confrontation." She squeezed his hand as they made their way down to Luke's office. Jarik looked over and smiled at her. His parents had told him about the meeting but had never mentioned him needing to be there.

Without bothering to ring the chime, Karissa opened the door and the two of them stepped in. Jarik's hand was still firmly in hers and that was probably a good thing. Every eye whipped to them and she felt him raise his shields.

"Jarik, what are you doing here?" Kyp asked, turning towards him.

"I'm here to help."

"Son…"

"Dad, Sari's my friend. Regardless of what she's done I'm not leaving her in enemy hands."

"But you just got out of the medical ward." He countered, flinching slightly when Jade touched his arm.

"You can either let me help or I'll go on my own. Your choice." The young man told his father as he crossed his arms and waited. Karissa stood next to him and settled her gaze on Kyp. He looked livid, but she could tell he was definitely losing the battle with himself. The master chose not to say anything, instead turning back around to pay attention to the briefing. Jarik fought the smirk on his face as he and Karissa moved to stand towards the back of the group. He glanced briefly past his parents and his gaze connected with Micah's. There hadn't been time for the three of them to talk in the last two days. Jarik knew when this was all over they were all going to sit down and have a chat. Force knows they were going to need it.

Luke stood and everyone quieted. The room was full, but not uncomfortably so. Ajani and his team were there, along with Myri. Most of the senior masters and then the three younger adults rounded out the group.

"Now you all know we received a message from Edward yesterday. Detective Panaz and I have been going over the best course of action to retrieve Sari and we think that we've found it." The grandmaster nodded to the detective, who stood and took over the discussion.

"Edward is holed up in an apartment building down on the south side, by the warehouse district. He had freely given us his coordinates, which leads me to believe he's going to try and ambush whoever goes in."

"How good is Edward? I mean we already know he's a little crazy after what he did to Cutter." Corran asked.

"Edward's not an idiot. What he lacks in imagination he makes up for in ambition." Jared offered. "Of course it all depends on who is working with him. He could have hired just grunt men to do what he says for the right price or he could have hired the best. We have no way of knowing."

"Which is why I'd like to go in with mixed groups. Law enforcement and Jedi together. If he isn't smart enough to employ force sensitives, then I want all the extra advantages I can get." Ajani stated.

"Does anyone object to this?" Luke asked, speaking to his people directly. When no one spoke up, he nodded turning back to the detective.

"From what I understand, Sari isn't that strong of a Jedi, at least not as strong as those in this room. I'm going to assume he doesn't have any ysalamari, but somehow I don't think that will bother any of you." Jarik and Micah shared a glance at Ajani's statement and both of them sighed. Luke noticed their silent exchange.

"Does that bother you two?" He asked the young men and was surprised at their resulting smiles.

"Nope. We're just gonna be taking a little vacation to Myrkr after all this is over and wiping those little buggers out." Jarik offered, garnering a laugh from the room.

"The objective is to take as many people alive as possible. Of course Sari is our main objective, but I don't want Edward or his thugs to get away or get hurt. Well, just don't kill them. Hurt is ok." He amended, earning an elbow in the ribs from Myri. "Whoever gets to Sari first needs to get her out of the building as soon as possible. We'll put her in a safe house until Edward and Cutter are arraigned."

"You're not going to arrest her?" Micah asked, not bothering to hide his surprise.

"Wasn't planning on it." Ajani commented, smiling slightly at the shock on most of the room's faces.

"Why not?" Jared inquired.

"Do you want me to?"

"No…I'm just surprised is all." The elder Obath commented.

"Look, I'm more concerned about getting her to testify against her brother and Edward when we nail him. If what we're finding out is true, then she's as much a victim in this sick game as those women that Cutter killed were."

Jarik looked over at Micah and found his friend's gaze directed towards the floor. It had never been easy to read Micah in the force, despite the fact he had no force abilities to speak of. His mom had told him that Jared was the same way, so she wasn't surprised.

"All right. That's all I have. Master Skywalker and I have broken you all into two teams. We'll get you outfitted with some building plans and introduce you to the SWAT team and then we'll be good to go."

!!


	31. Chapter 31

-1**Chapter 31 **

Team 1 – Corran, Jarik, Karissa, Micah, Ben, Ajani and three swat members.

Team 2 – Kyp, Jag, Jaina, Luke, Zoan, Zek and three swat members

_Team 1 –  
Five hours later… _

Ajani had just finished strapping his flack vest down when he felt a hand on his arm. Turning, a smile split his face as Myri held out his blaster for him. He took it from her and strapped it on, his eyes not leaving her face.

"You're not going to do anything stupid out there, are you?" She asked, causing him to chuckle.

"Wasn't planning on it." He said quietly. "Why, did you have a request?"

"Yeah." Came her reply as she went to her toes and brought his face down to hers. "Try not to get killed."

!!

"You sure you're up for this Jarik?"

He looked up to find Corran standing next to him and he sighed.

"Yes. For the last time I feel fine."

"Hey." The master said shortly causing Jarik's eyes to vaunt up to meet his. "Keep your tude. I get enough of that from Valin."

"Yes sir." Jarik snarked as Corran walked away. He felt Karissa walk up behind him and he turned gracing her with a smile. "Please don't ask me what everyone else is asking me?" He pleaded with her.

"What do I get if I don't?" She asked him saucily as he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sure I can think of a suitable reward." Came the whisper in her ear, his gaze suddenly going behind Karissa to find Micah standing there. "You ask me and I'll shoot you."

Micah laughed and walked closer. "Ask what?" He said, not innocently enough. Jarik started to say something when Micah stopped him. "I'm fine man. I just want to get her out of there."

"We will." Karissa interjected into the conversation.

"Damn right we will."

!!

_Team 2 _

"What, you put all the old people on the same team?" Kyp asked Luke as they waited for Zoan and the swat team members to get ready.

"Speak for yourself, Durron. We're not all old like you." Jag threw back as he walked over to the pair.

"No, Kyp. If that had been my goal, I would have put myself on the other team just to spite you." Luke offered, smiling when Kyp's face fell slightly. "I simply put the people who mesh well together on the same team. You, Jag, Jaina and Zekk have always worked well together. The same can be said for Karissa, Jarik and Micah. Ben's flexible and Corran…well we'll just leave it at that." He said, his grin growing.

Kyp snorted at Luke's explanation and ran a hand over his face in frustration. He was eager to get the show on the road and get this over with. Looking up, he found Jade giving him a concerned look and he attempted to smile at her. She leaned over to tell Jared something and when he nodded she started Kyp's way. They were a few buildings down from where Edward was holed up. Myri was camped out with Jade and Seena to await the outcome with Jared and Jysella standing watch over them.

Normally, civilians weren't allowed anywhere near a takedown but Myri had made an exception this once. Considering both women had half of their immediate families involved it was the least she could do.

Jade stopped in front of her husband and gave him a smile. He responded by pulling her into his arms and burying his face in her neck. A chuckle escaped her and she sighed as he tightened his arms around her.

"You ok?" She whispered quietly.

"Yeah. I just want this to all be over. I thought we had left the past in that exact place. The past."

"It'll be over soon. We'll have Sari home safe and we can put it behind us for good then." Jade told him as he raised his head up to smile at her.

"Force, I love you." He said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "You realize how much I'm gonna be leaning on you when Luke finally lets me take over?"

"Yep. It's going to be a full time job just keeping you grounded. Why do you think I'm quitting the senate?" She teased, getting a raised brow from her husband.

"I thought it was because you loved me." He pouted playfully.

"Oh well, there's that, too."

!!

Sari continued to watch as the big man paced back and forth on the other side of the room. In the last two hours he had been joined by a small group of men who, frankly, scared her. If she had to guess, she would say they were mercenaries who would do anything for the right price. Pulling her legs up to her chest she wrapped her arms around them and rested her forehead on her knees. _Please, don't let them come after me_ she thought to herself.

The door opening brought her head up and she watched as one of the men walked over to Edward and told him something quietly. The smile that broke out on his face made her stomach clench. Apparently the force wasn't listening to traitors today. Edward turned around and gave her a sly smile and she tried to school her features so that they were passive.

"I told you not to underestimate your worth my dear. They're here." He said as he walked towards her. Reaching down he grabbed the stun cuffs that were keeping her captive and hit the release lever, causing them to fall to the floor. Stunned, she looked at him and frowned. He said nothing as two men came over and each grabbed an arm to lift her and pull her over to a far corner. The farthest part of the room that was from the door. They pushed her towards the wall and she slammed into it grimacing from the impact.

"Sit." One of them sneered and she complied unconsciously, her eyes never leaving his. They backed away, but took root a few meters in front of her and turned their backs her way. Edward wasn't taking any chances. Her head dropped slightly as she fought the overwhelming fear that threatened to take over. There was an opening about two meters to her right, but she wasn't sure she could make it.

Sighing quietly, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind of her anxiety. Edward had provided her with her own ysalamari so she couldn't use the force, but she could still meditate. It was better than waiting for her friends to walk into an ambush.

!!

Closing his eyes, Micah took a couple of deep breaths and tried to get the frown off his face. He was anxious to get up the building, but they hadn't been given the ok yet. Karissa stood to his left and he smiled when she reached over to grab his hand and squeeze it reassuringly. He didn't turn to thank her, just squeezed back in response.

Ajani stiffened visibly, his finger going up to his ear. He nodded even though the person talking into his ear couldn't see him and turned towards the group.

"All the tenants are clear. Team 2 is going in first to make sure it's clear up to the floor. Once they get it locked down, we're going in."

!!

Kyp hated working blind, but they really didn't have a choice. He and Zoan were leading half the group slowly up the stairs from the fourth to the fifth floor. They had decided to break up and take both points of entry.

Zekk and two of the SWAT team members were behind him as they stopped in front of the door. He reached out into the force and found no one on the other side or in the hallway. The presence of six men came at him from about 10 meters away, then he hit a void. Who knew how many were hiding in that particular spot, but he was sure they could handle it. They were more worried about Sari.

Looking up at Zoan, the younger man gave him a nod and Kyp palmed the door his saber at the ready in his other hand. He ignited it, flashing it out into the hallway and heard only the hum of his weapon.

"Apparently there's no automated systems in the hallway." He heard Zoan say quietly into his comm. Swallowing, Kyp walked slowly out into the darkened corridor and found nothing. He blew out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and nodded to the detective.

Now it was the other team's turn.

!!

He stepped out of the lift and waited for everyone to take their spots. He and Corran were running point with Ben and Ajani backing them up. To say Micah had been surprised that the detective had giving him the option would be an understatement. He was still trying to figure out why as he and the Master walked slowly towards the door. Of course, you could argue that everyone involved on this except the SWAT team members had a personal stake in the outcome of what they were about to do. So why should it matter that he was up front.

Corran held out a hand to halt Micah and he did so without even looking at the man. Sensing no movement from inside the apartment, Corran waved Jarik and Karrisa up towards him and pointed with his fingers to either side of the door. Nodding, the two Jedi walked over and took up space on either side of the door, their sabers in attack position.

Corran looked over at Micah and raised his brows. "Ready?" He mouthed, receiving a short nod from the young man. Corran grinned and started to walk forward.

Suddenly, Micah remembered something. He reached out quickly and stopped the Master whose head whipped around in confusion. Micah moved closer.

"Wasn't there a back entrance?" He whispered.

"Yeah, but it's by the bubble. Micah, it's a little late to be rethinking the strategy."

"Chances are that's where Sari is. Let me take the SWAT guys and go around back before we go in. Maybe we can get in that way."

"It would take too long to feel that way out." Corran argued as Jarik moved over to join their conversation.

"Is this really a good time to be having a discussion guys?" Jarik asked.

"Don't ask me why, but I just have a feeling that we need someone at that entrance." Micah pushed, not paying his friend any attention. Corran's lips thinned and he remained silent.

!!

Jag frowned.

"Shouldn't they have gone in already?" He asked Jaina, as he turned to find her eyes closed.

"Something's wrong." She answered quietly. "Corran and Micah are both irritated. I think they're arguing."

"Sith." Kyp swore. "Now's not really a good time." He added quietly. They were in the stairwell, backup in case some of the bad guys made it past the first team and tried to escape. The rest of them were waiting in the lobby at the lift for any stragglers.

"Micah wants to take the back entrance to the apartment." Jaina said, her brow creasing. "Corran doesn't want to change the plan."

"Well, they need to make a decision." Zekk stated.

!!

Ajani watched the pair stare each other down and rolled his eyes.

"Baker, you and Master Skywalker go with Micah to the back entrance. Wait for my signal before you burst in." He told the SWAT member, then looked back up to see Corran frowning at him and Micah smiling.

"He's got a point Master Horn. But they'll wait until we go in before they even attempt to." He directed the last part to Micah and received a nod from the young man before he moved back into the stairwell with his two shadows.

"I don't like it." Corran told the big man as he joined him and Jarik.

"I don't either, but there's a reason Edward has the void there. I think it's because that's where Sari is, but it doesn't hurt to have a little extra on the other side. Baker's a crack hacker so they'll be able to get past any security if there is some and I have a feeling the other two will be just fine."

!!

They had to take the fire escape to get to the other side of the apartment. Micah consulted the blueprints in his head and pointed to the window at the far end of the walkway. Silently, Ben and Baker followed him as he made his way down there. When he finally arrived at his destination he couldn't hold back the chuckle.

"You've got to be kidding me." He heard Baker say. There was no glass in over half the windows. Some of the openings had broken panes, but most of them were devoid of anything at all.

"Well, that makes it a tad easier." Micah mumbled as he poked his head through the opening and checked the room inside. There were a few crates, but the room was barren besides. He hoisted himself through the opening them moved aside so the other two could join him.

"There's a short hallway outside the door." He whispered to them. " A few meters up is the entrance to the main room where Edward is. Hopefully the floor is in good condition and we can make it there without being detected.

!!

"I thought you said they were here." One of the mercenaries sneered.

"They are."

"Then what are they waiting for?" Another piped up.

Micah and Ben's eyes met and the older man smiled. He knew Micah was anxious to get this over with, especially considering Sari was likely to be caught in the crossfire. Ben gave him a look that urged patience and Micah nodded slightly.

"Will all of you shut up!" Edward finally said, the silence following was deafening. "You're not helping our cause any by arguing about it. Just be patient and you'll get to kill someone in a minute."

Grunts of satisfaction met Micah's ears and he bit his lip.

!!

Jarik got the nod from Corran and giving Karissa a quick glance palmed the door. The second it opened blaster fire poured through it. There was no aiming involved on the mercenaries part. Just fire and hit something. Corran's blade moved rapidly as he walked towards the door, sending shots into the walls around them. The two Jedi waited until he was almost to them before they moved through the doorway to take up their spots on the other side of the wall they had just occupied.

He quickly scanned the room as he parried incoming shots and located Sari over in the corner. Her eyes were wide as she met his gaze and he smiled, giving her a quick wink. Mentally he told the rest of the Jedi where she was located and concentrated on the fight again. He laughed out loud when Karissa sent a stray bolt over towards Sari and struck the little animal in the cage. She smiled but didn't turn to look at him.

!!

Ben looked up and nodded at Micah as he and Baker moved to go through the doorway.

Micah zipped around the corner, pushing Sari to the ground with him. He rolled at the last minute to keep his weight off of her and landed with a grunt on the floor. She froze, draped halfway on him and couldn't believe her eyes. He'd actually come for her.

"Micah?" Her surprise was evident as he looked up at her and smiled.

"You were expecting someone else?" He joked as he took a minute to search her face. "You're not hurt?" She shook her head and he reached around behind him, not in any hurry to let her go. "I'm going to assume you know how to shoot this." He whispered into her ear as he placed a blaster into her hand. Sari nodded softly, not unaffected by Micah plastered against her.

"Micah…"

"Later, Sari. We'll have time to talk later." He said as he kissed her temple and separated from her to cover their friends. Tucking her questions away for later, she moved over to flank him and return fire. Disappointingly, it was over in a matter of minutes. Edward had been overconfident and hadn't really thought his plan through. Even with the fifteen mercenaries he'd hired, it had been entirely too easy.

Micah couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched Ajani's men work. His heart was still racing as the big detective walked over in his direction.

"Thank you." Micah said suddenly, startling the big man.

"For what?"

"Siding with me earlier."

"Ah. Well, it was a good idea. I just wish you would have had it earlier." He offered giving the young man one of his rare smiles. Ajani cleared his throat and suddenly looked uncomfortable. "So, Myri tells me you're interested in intelligence work."

!!

Sari looked at the blaster in her hand and then walked over to place it on one of the crates that had survived the fight. She could feel him watching her and wanted to run, but knew she couldn't. She was already in trouble and disappearing, even for a few minutes, was not going to work in her favor.

"Hey." Sari turned to find him standing behind her, a worried look on his face. "You ok?"

She nodded absently. Of course she wasn't ok. Her brother had tried to kill one of her friends, not to mention all the women he had killed and she had done nothing to stop it. Then she'd been kidnapped and now she was going to lose Micah and probably end up in prison. Yeah, she was great. The pricking of tears stung her eyes and she squeezed them shut, trying to turn away from him.

Micah wasn't having it. He reached out and pulled her to him, which opened up the flood gate. She sobbed opening into his chest, not caring who heard her.

"I'm so sorry…" She managed to eke out.

"Shhh." He whispered, his hand running up and down her back. "It's ok. We'll work this out."

Sari's head popped up and she found him smiling at her. "How can I make this right? Micah I helped…"

"Stop. I'm aware of what you did. I said we'll work it out. Trust me." He told her as he searched her eyes. Finally, she lowered her gaze and nodded.

!!

_One Year Later… _

"Hey!" He yelled at the two students who were running down one of the hallways. "No running."

"Yes sir." They called politely, as they slowed from a run to a fast walk. Kyp chuckled and shook his head. It was the last day of classes before an extended break and he was just as eager for it to start as the students. He stood in the main chamber of the temple and unconsciously crossed his arms to bury his hands up his sleeves.

Luke had handed over the reins six months ago and had moved himself to Ossus permanently. Not that he wouldn't come back if Kyp needed him, but he was pretty confident that it wouldn't be necessary. Corran had left a month ago to join his wife and the Antilles on Coreillia expressing a similar sentiment to Luke's.

While the changing of the guard for the Jedi had created some uproar, the majority of the response had been positive for Kyp. He knew there were always going to be those that chose to judge him by his past rather than his accomplishments since, but he wasn't really worried about them. The only opinions that mattered were his family's.

As if conjuring them with his thoughts he saw Galven and Rika walked into the room and waved as they moved towards him. They were taking a vacation. The first one they had been able to take in a long time. Jade had left the Senate, much to everyone's despair and helped him with his own dream. He no longer thought that he deserved so much less than his wife gave him, but he made a point to thank her everyday anyway. His two younger children stopped next to him and he smiled.

"You guys are packed, right?"

Rika rolled her eyes at him. "Yes dad. We were packed last night. How many times are you going to ask that?" He felt a twinge in his chest as he looked at his daughter. Sometime in the last year he had gone from daddy to dad. It hadn't been that bad when the boys had made that change, but something about Rika doing it bothered him. Jade had told him it was because she was his little girl and it was different. He had taken her word for it and lived with it even though he didn't like it.

"Just checking." He responded, holding his hands out in front of him in surrender and smiling.

"You should be more worried about if Karissa's packed or not." His younger son snarked. Galven had matured quite a bit in the last year. While he and Kyp weren't nearly as close as he and Jarik their relationship had definitely grown for the better. Kyp's grin grew to match his son's and he looked up to see his wife and other son walking towards them.

"Everybody ready?" He asked the group and when he received nods from all of them, he looked to his oldest. "Where's Kissa?"

"She's going to meet us at the hangar. There was a few things she needed to take care of." Kyp nodded and throwing his arm around Jade's shoulders they left the building.

!!

"I'm gonna miss you while you're gone." Sari told her friend quietly as they walked towards the main hangar of the temple.

"I'll only be gone a month Sari. You know you can call me anytime." Karissa assured her friend. "Besides, I think you'll have plenty to do while I'm gone.' She added with a smile.

"True. And Micah will be here so that will help." In the last year Sari had gone through a lot. After testifying at Cutter and Edward's trial Luke taken her back into the fold, but it hadn't happened without controversy. Sari had asked that her part in her brother's deeds not be hidden. To say that her request had come as a surprise was an understatement. A majority of the population thought she was just as guilty as the two men for what had happened to those two women and had wanted her to see prison time also.

How the Grandmaster had kept her free she would never know, but it would take a lifetime to pay back his actions and she was prepared to do it. She was also thankful Micah hadn't turned his back on her. Not that anyone would have blamed him. In fact, all of her friends had welcomed her back with open arms. It had taken her quite a while to accept that she was worthy of their forgiveness and there were times she still struggled with it. Micah had asked for some time and she had been willing to give him as much as he needed. It turned out he hadn't needed that much.

Slowly they had rebuilt their relationship and she felt that it was stronger than ever. They still had a long way to go, her more than him, but she was confident it would happen. Cool air greeted the two young women as they stepped out of the lift onto the hangar floor. Micah and Jarik were talking quietly over to the side as the rest of the group said their goodbyes to the Fels and the Obaths.

They walked over to the boys and joined in the conversation and Karissa smiled when Micah draped his arm over Sari's shoulders. Everything was right with the galaxy finally she told herself as she settled into Jarik's embrace and listened to her friends' conversation.

!!

"We'll take care of her while you're gone. Don't worry." Jared assured Kyp and Jade as they all glanced over at Sari standing with their children. Of course Sari had become Kyp's responsibility when Luke had left, but he couldn't complain. She was working hard to make up for the wrongs she had done and he knew better than anyone how that worked. Sari had been staying with them considering that Jarik and Micah had gotten their own apartment and they had the extra space.

Jag chuckled and everyone's gaze shot to him.

"What?" Jaina asked.

"I was just thinking we should all be more worried about the Durrons than the rest of us. I mean, you are taking Karissa on your vacation." He smirked, earning a smack from his wife and chuckles from the rest of them.

"Yeah, that's right Fel. Your daughter is going to a whole other planet with my son, who also happens to be her boyfriend." Kyp added, trying to keep the smile off his face as Jag's smile faded. "Oh, did I mention they're both consenting adults?"

"All right boys. Stop it." Jaina scolded.

"I swear you two will never grow up." The former senator mumbled as she glared at her husband.

!!

Kyp stretched in the pilot's seat, then settled his lanky form back into the cushions. They'd been underway for about an hour and Jade was checking on the kids at the moment.

He heard his wife walk quietly back into the cockpit and when she was next to him and about to sit down in the copilot's seat, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. A chuckle escaped him at her small screech and he silenced the sound with his lips.

Jade pulled back first, a few minutes later and he smiled at her glare.

"The kids are still awake, Kyp." She scolded him lightly. He scrunched his face up and concentrated.

"Galven and Rika are playing a video game and we won't see them for a couple of hours I'm guessing. The other two…" Kyp raised an eyebrow and started to get up when she stopped him.

"Are consenting adults I seem to remember you telling Jag."

"That was just to annoy him. I didn't think they were gonna actually try anything."

Jade smacked his shoulder and he frowned. "They're not doing anything but watching a holovid and you know it. They'll behave because they love you and Jag too much to see you die of a heart attack."

"Sometimes I wonder…" Kyp mumbled as he got comfortable again. They sat in comfortable silence for a while and he wondered if she'd fallen asleep. Her mind was quiet and her breathing even.

"Were you well behaved when you were their age?" He asked Jade quietly and heard her chuckle.

"Sith no." She told him.

"Good thing we didn't know each other at that time then." He joked.

"Why?" Jade asked, not raising her head from his chest.

"Cause I wasn't good either."

A quiet snort sounded from her and grunted. "Were you ever good?" She asked, laughter evident in her voice.

"Maybe once…"

Jade looked up and frowned at him. "Just once?"

"Well I had to do something right to get you."

!!


End file.
